Lost and Found
by jelliclesoul635
Summary: Jemima is Demeter's daughter but doesn't know it. After a long time of being separated, what happens when the truth is discovered? Pollicle attacks, near-death experiences, and hopefully lots of emotion is what lies in store for you if you decide to read. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

Lost and Found

By jelliclesoul635

Summary: Jemima is Demeter's daughter but doesn't know it. After a long time of being separated, what happens when the truth is discovered? Pollicle attacks, near-death experiences, and hopefully lots of emotion is what lies in store for you if you decide to read. Rated T.

_A/N: I am going to put this entire story up hopefully within the week. I know I have others to finish, but thankfully summer's coming so I'll have nothing but time. This story is an old one that I actually forgot about. Most of it has been written already and has just been sitting on my old computer. Hopefully you enjoy._

Disclaimer: I do not own CATS.

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"Have you done what we've requested of you?" King Rufus questioned the ginger tom. He paid more attention to the filing of his claws than the trembling feline before him.

"No sir, I have not."

The Pollicle King's beast-like head snapped up to meet Macavity's fearful, yet honest gaze.

"And why not? Our instructions were clear." The volume of his voice grew in frustration at Macavity's failure to complete his task.

"I just need some more time. I love Demeter very much and this is going to hurt her-"

"Enough!" A massive swipe across the face silenced Macavity's reasoning. "One thing Macavity, that's all we asked for! Just one lousy thing! All you had to do was bring us the child and you'd be free to live your life in peace with that wretch you call a mate."

Macavity growled low and stared at Rufus with glaring eyes. If only he could shoot lasers from his eye sockets, then there would be nothing but a pile of burnt fur where Rufus was currently sitting.

"Now, I will give you one final chance. Fail me this time and you won't live to see your precious mate again. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Macavity bowed and left the impound lot where the Pollicles resided. They wanted him to sacrifice his own daughter so they could raise her and use her to their advantage. They figured that if Macavity had magical powers, then his offspring must also be gifted. Macavity could not be trusted to be their ally, but a kitten who didn't know any better, who was young and in a prime condition for molding and shaping, would prove very valuable.

King Rufus grinned mischievously. If Macavity delivered then it would only be a matter of time before the Pollicles were the ultimate leaders. They would rid the world of pesky cats and with any luck, Macavity would be their first victim.

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_A/N: I know it's short but there's lots of important stuff in that last chunk of text. And there's more to come soon. Thanks for reading. _


	2. Chapter 2

Macavity entered his Warehouse. He walked down the corridor leading to his bedroom, the walls painted a pleasant shade of cerulean blue. Though the shade was pleasant, the color itself was blue and sad. He mused how ironic it was, to have the walls match exactly how he felt on the inside. If only there were splatters of paint spreading across the wall, all kinds of colors swirling and jutting out in all different directions, mixing with other colors and creating one giant mess, then perhaps his feelings could be depicted even more accurately than by the simple cerulean blue.

Demeter was grooming herself by the window, the sunlight shining in through the glass panes illuminating her fur in a glorious bath of golden warmth. He closed the door behind him and it was then that she noticed his presence.

"Oh honey, I didn't think you'd be home so soon." She immediately left her seat by the window and walked up to Macavity, putting her paws on his chest and looking up into his downcast face. His expression made her worry, it was lost and dejected.

"It didn't go well, did it? How many more shipments of fish carcasses does he want? He's not still asking for dead mice, is he?" Macavity ran a company that served both Pollicles and felines. His employees sought deceased rodents, fish carcasses and chicken bones from garbage scraps and would sell their findings. His hired seekers were exceptional at finding the highest quality leftovers and his business was doing very well until Rufus became interested. He would constantly demand more than what his seekers could supply. There are only so many fish carcasses and mice in one place at one time. But this isn't what troubled Macavity today…

"No, Demi. It's not that."

"Then… what is it?"

He just nodded his head, signaling he didn't want to speak about it. He gathered Demeter's paws from his chest and held them to his mouth to kiss them. He squeezed them reassuringly and offered a small grin before retiring to the bed they typically shared.

The bed was enormous and round, but he sat only on the edge of it, resting his elbows on his knees and holing his head in his paws.

Demeter frowned at seeing Macavity so troubled. She sat next to him, folding her legs so they were crisscrossed, and petted the fur by his ear in a soothing manner. She kissed his arm and laid her head against his shoulder. She wanted him to know that she would be there for him. They'd been through so much already, it was impossible for Demeter to wrap her mind around the idea that there was something out there that could break them apart or bring them misery. They were fighters and would get back up from whatever in life knocked them down.

Even when all the Junkyard had been against them, they stood by each other. Demeter thought about it, still keeping her head against Macavity's arm. She closed her eyes and allowed her memory to take a journey.

"_Demeter come on! Macavity is not the kind of tom you want to be fooling around with!" Munkustrap followed after her._

"_Munkustrap you don't understand! Everyone in this tribe has some twisted view of how it's supposed to be. So Macavity doesn't want to be a leader. Big deal! He has other dreams he wants to live."_

"_It's his responsibility, Demeter." He grabbed her softly by the arm so they were now facing each other. "He was born to be the next protector."_

"_He doesn't want to be a protector, Munkustrap. He has a feeling deep inside that success is in the future, but that future does not include leading a tribe of Jellicles. I don't know why everyone has to hate him for being different."_

"_Nobody hates him-" _

"_No, everyone is just disappointed in him and would rather shun him than try and get past his decision. You know how hurtful it is to have everyone you've loved and grown up with through-out your entire life suddenly not support you anymore? It's devastating. I think it's awful how everyone is treating him, and just because he wants to follow his dreams!"_

"_And what are his dreams, Demeter? Does he even have any?"_

_She repressed a hiss in the center of her throat at Munkustrap's rude question. Of course Macavity has dreams! "He wants to be a successful business cat."_

_Munkustrap scoffed, earning him an icy glare from Demeter. "You know what Munkustrap, one day he's going to leave here to pursue his passion and you know who's going to stand behind him? Me. I'll be the one who supports him, since the rest of his family won't." she stormed off towards Macavity's den defiantly._

Demeter would remember that conversation forever. It was a conversation where she realized her true feelings for Macavity. Sure, she was his best friend, but at that moment she realized that her feelings went a lot deeper than mere friendship.

"I'll always be here for you, Macavity. I love you more than anything else in this world."

She kissed him on the lips, but they were interrupted by a bundle of fur bouncing into the room.

The adorable kitten pranced straight towards her parents. "Hi mommy, hi daddy!" she greeted, her green eyes glistening with innocence and youth. Her fur was like that of her mother's, with a bit of her father's red coloring showing here and there.

"Hello, Jemima." Macavity slid down from his sitting position on the bed to kneel before his daughter. At the site of her, Demeter noticed that Macavity's troubles seemed to melt right off his fur, as if he was never troubled to begin with. He tapped her on the nose playfully and she giggled in delight. She returned the gesture and Macavity pretended to have been zapped. Jemima laughed merrily and the play continued for a few minutes until both Macavity and Jemima ended up in a gasping heap on the floor, their sides aching from all the laughter.

Demeter stood and walked over to the two biggest joys of her life. "Now just look at this. You've laughed yourselves silly!" Demeter spoke childishly to evoke more giggles from the tiny kitten.

"You know Jemmy, mom's right, we _have_ laughed ourselves silly, but something's wrong here." Macavity feigned severity.

Jemima's eyes widened. "What?"

"You and I have laughed ourselves silly, right?" Jemima nodded, eyes still wide in wonder. "Well what about mommy? She didn't laugh as much as we did, do you think we should help her out and let loose those giggles inside her?"

"Yes!" Jemima leapt off her father and jumped up and down with newfound energy.

Demeter couldn't tell what they were about to do, but as soon as Macavity shouted, "Get her!", she took off running for the door, but it was a futile attempt at escape. Macavity tackled her with little effort and soon both he and Jemima were tickling her relentlessly.

"Stop… Everlasting Cat… I'll get the both of you… just… you… wait!" Demeter vowed through her bursting laughter. She squirmed to get free of their fiendish hands but the two of them made an impeccable team.

Macavity looked over to Jemima and winked, a clever scheme set in his mind. "Dem darling, would you like us to stop?"

"Please, I can't take… this… dear me!"

"All you have to do is say that I'm the best, most handsome tom you've ever seen in all your lives and we'll let you go free."

"And that I'm a princess!" Jemima added.

"Deal!" Demeter agreed, sitting up from the floor. She tried to catch her breath as the tickling ceased long enough for her to recite her conditions.

She looked to Jemima and scratched behind both her ears affectionately. "You, my wonderful daughter, are a princess. You are the most beautiful princess I've ever seen." Jemima smiled gleefully.

She turned to Macavity. "And you…", she crept up close to his lips, almost speaking directly into his mouth as if it were a microphone, "are the biggest,", she kissed him chastely, "most gifted,", and another chaste kiss, "understanding,", and yet another, "and handsomest" one last kiss and a sly smile, "smelly old bum I've ever seen!" Demeter took Jemima by the hand as the two of them ran for shelter. She knocked Macavity on his rear, cackling joyously as she made her way down the corridor and single flight of stairs.

"Why you! I'll give you 'smelly old bum'!" Macavity propelled himself off the floor and took off running after the two precious gems in his life.

They played like this for hours. It was some of the happiest times they would ever know.


	3. Chapter 3

A week had gone by and Macavity was growing more nervous by the hour. It wasn't like Rufus to stay away for so long when he wanted something as much as he wanted Jemima. Something wasn't right. Macavity had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was going to go horribly wrong. He kept his eyes and ears on high alert for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.

Demeter was coming toward him with Jemima in her arms.

"I don't think Jemima's feeling well today. I'm going to take her upstairs for a nap."

"Okay, Dem. Hey, wait…" Demeter had only passed by Macavity a few inches before he called to her, "come right down, alright? I need to speak to you about something and it's important."

"Alright dear, is everything okay?" Demeter was concerned.

"I don't know, and that's why I have to talk to you, so please hurry." Macavity was wringing his hands.

"Okay, just try and relax, I'll meet you in the dining room."

Macavity nodded and went to wait for his mate in the other room. A few minutes had passed before Demeter returned. She sat across from Macavity at the dining table. "What's going on?"

"Well, it's got to do with Rufus. He wanted something from me but I haven't given it to him yet. I'm not sure that I can."

Demeter sighed but looked hopeful, thinking she had come up with a solution. "You're just going to have to tell him that his demands are too high, that there simply isn't enough bones or rats or fish leftovers to please him, he'll have to-"

"No Demeter, it's not scraps he wants." Her face fell and Macavity moved his paw to cover Demeter's on the glossy surface of the table. She looked down at the gentle contact he made and her heart throbbed in her chest.

"Well then, uh, what does he want?" she inquired slowly and cautiously. Macavity swallowed nervously.

"He wants Jemima."

Demeter was stunned, too stunned to react. She was overwhelmed by a thousand emotions all at once and it caused to her to feel numb. She swayed in her seat at the table, using her other paw to steady herself, gripping the edge of the wooden furniture.

"Demeter, you alright?" Macavity gripped her paw a little tighter.

She felt dizzy, and her mouth had gone dry. "What do you mean he wants Jemima?"

"He wanted me to give her up, to let him raise her."

Demeter was incredulous. "Why? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. A Pollicle raising a kitten!"

"Because he thinks when Jemima gets older she'll have powers like I have and since he can't trust a free-spirited adult like me, he thinks he can raise a kitten instead and use her powers to rid the world of, well, us."

Demeter looked down at the center of the table, off to the side. Her eyes were filling with tears and would spill soon if she didn't control herself. She took a deep breath.

"That's why you're so nervous. That's what he said to you last week, when you came home so gloomy..." Demeter realized, Macavity nodded in confirmation.

"Well what do we do? We can't just let him take her. Oh Heaviside, do you think he's going to come here and snatch her if you don't show up soon?"

"I don't know, but I've got some of my seekers keeping watch so if Rufus tries anything, we'll be prepared at least a little bit."

"We can't stay here, you know." Demeter said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the longer we stay here, the more we jeopardize our daughter's freedom. Eventually they'll find a way to get to her if we don't leave this place." Demeter's voice was tinged with reluctance, she loved the Warehouse, it was their home and she and Macavity had spent a lot of time personalizing and renovating it when they had first discovered it.

Macavity sighed, he could see sense in what she was saying, but where would they go?

Before they could think any further on the subject, the sound of glass shattering was heard from upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Okay guys, this chapter has a battle scene so that's going to be your warning. There's nothing gruesome, I promise. I just thought you might appreciate a heads-up._

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"What was that?" Demeter bolted from the table, sending the chair flying behind her. Instead of waiting for Macavity to give her some kind of answer, she headed for the staircase at full speed. Macavity was close behind her, but as they reached the landing, one of his seekers got his attention.

He was panting. Macavity assumed he'd been rushing to find him. "Boss! There's a troop of Pollicles headed straight for the Warehouse. There's too many of them, sir. I think we should run for it."

"Alright, gather as many seekers as you can find who are still inside, tell them I want to keep those hounds at bay for as long as possible. I've got to try and get my family to safety."

The seeker nodded in understanding and frowned at Demeter who stood just behind Macavity. She smiled awkwardly to try and thank him for his service, she only hoped the seeker knew what she meant by it.

The seeker ran off as did Macavity and Demeter. They reached the top of the staircase but a sudden force pushed Demeter backwards into Macavity who nearly went down the stairs. He held onto the banister and put his other paw forward against Demeter to help her stabilize her footing.

"You okay?" he asked, "What was that?"

"I don't know, something shoved me but before I could see exactly what it was it took off towards Jemima's room." Demeter's eyes bulged. "Jemima!"

Demeter threw open the door to Jemima's room, finding the kitten sleeping peacefully in her bed. Macavity put his paw on Demeter shoulder to turn her around. "Listen to me Demeter, I want you to take Jemima and get out of here."

"Mac, you know I won't go anywhere without you." She dismissed his instructions without a second of thought.

Macavity grabbed her by the shoulders and looked sternly into her chartreuse eyes. His amber ones were so serious and Demeter became extremely frightened. "You have to do what I'm telling you to do. Take Jemima and go out through the back. There most likely won't be that many Pollicles out there, but if there are I know you can take care of yourself. I'll meet up with you in the woods. If I'm not there by the time the sun sets, go without me." He kissed her forehead.

Demeter was crying. She couldn't bear the thought of doing this alone. "Jemima needs you, Mac. I need you!"

"I know, we're only going to be apart for a little while, that's it." Macavity placed both his paws on the sides of Demeter's crumpling face, speaking as softly and gently as he could. "We've got to save our daughter, okay? That's what we've got to do here so focus on that. Don't think about us, it'll only distract you."

They kissed furiously, but it was over too soon. Macavity was pulling away. "We haven't got much time." He looked past Demeter's shoulder at the sleeping kitten, "I love you, baby." He whispered. He wanted to cry right then and there but he couldn't do that, his family needed him to stay strong, and that's exactly what he planned to do.

He looked at Demeter, putting his hands gently around her neck and indulging in one final kiss. "I'll see you in a bit, love. You can do this." He wiped the tears from her face.

"Be careful." Demeter's voice was wavering the way it does when someone's been crying.

"Always." Macavity smiled broadly and winked before dashing out the door. Demeter took a deep breath and rubbed the rest of the tears from her eyes, preparing herself for the challenge before her.

She scooped up Jemima in her arms, shushing the kitten when she began to complain about being disturbed.

"Mommy, what's going on?"

"Nothing baby, we're just going out for a while." She assured.

Jemima snuggled close to her mother's chest. Demeter wouldn't allow herself to think about anything but getting Jemima to safety. She wouldn't mess this up, there was too much at stake, too much at risk of losing.

She turned around with Jemima in her arms and found herself face to face with a snarling Pollicle, fangs dripping with saliva, eyes dark with hunger.

She bent over to put Jemima on the ground, telling her to get under the bed and stay there. She obeyed, instantly scared. Her eyes were closed, she didn't see the danger that her mother had, but she could tell by her mother's voice and actions that something bad would happen.

"I will not let you take my baby." Demeter vowed, crouching into an attack stance and stiffening her claws for when she would strike.

The Pollicle licked its mouth and growled before lunging at Demeter. It crushed her as it straddled her, its weight much greater than Demeter's. Though pinned, Demeter was small enough to wriggle free from the monster's grasp and pounced from behind, taking the scoundrel in a head-lock. Though it thrashed around voraciously, she did not let up on her hold and forced her arms to hold on tighter and tighter, restricting its ability to breathe until finally it stopped moving. Gasping, Demeter fetched Jemima from under her bed and ran to the top of the staircase. When she got there, she froze.

A sea of Pollicles and cats were tearing at each other, ripping their opponents to shreds. "Jemima, close your eyes and hold me tight." If she wanted to get out of the house, she would have to somehow make it through at least part of that chaotic mess. She tried to see Macavity, but the only red she could see was not from fur, but blood.

A Pollicle ran towards her and she immediately went into action, moving evasively from her four-legged perpetrator. She could hear the chomping mouth and tried not to flinch every time its jaws slammed closed behind her. She balanced on the banister, staying high-up and away from the mayhem below. She needed to get to the kitchen but there was not a clear path. She would have no choice but to go through.

Macavity saw his mate and daughter being pursued by a Pollicle from where he was, on the ground. He couldn't feel the pain now, there was too much of it to feel. Instead he was detached from the intense agony that swallowed his body, somehow unresponsive. He knew that this would be the last time he saw them, but felt confident that they'd make it out. Demeter was very skilled, could run fast, and was agile. And if she couldn't, Macavity knew that somehow, as a mother, before Demeter gave up on living, she would ensure the well-being of Jemima. Though Macavity was prepared to give everything he had in this battle, prepared to die if that's what it took, he knew that he would live on in his daughter, and trusted his mate to get her out of there alive.

Demeter held Jemima close to her. "Hold on Jemmy, don't let go of me. This will all be over soon, I promise."

"Mommy, I'm scared!" Jemima's voice was muffled as her mouth was pressed firmly to the side of her mother's neck, her mother's paw keeping her head buried and shielded from the horror surrounding them. Demeter could feel the hot tears from Jemima's face soaking through her fur. "I know, honey, but I won't let anything happen to you. You trust me, don't you?"

Jemima nodded her head. "That's my good girl, now just hold on to me tight. Here we go."

Demeter leapt off of the banister and fell into the fray. She dodged as many hits as possible, but some could simply not be avoided. She didn't cry out, she didn't stop, she didn't pay any mind to the injuries she was sustaining. All that mattered was getting Jemima out of there.

Macavity saw the fleeting image of the golden ebony blur of his mate running for the back entrance. She would make it, he knew she would. She had to.

Demeter dove through the panel of the door, barrel rolling with Jemima still clinging relentlessly to her fur. No one had seen them escape. The Pollicle that was trailing them got lost somewhere in the thick of the fight.

Demeter didn't stop to rejoice in whatever victory they'd just achieved, not yet. She ran for the woods and once she got to the border, she set Jemima atop a boulder and looked at her carefully. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I don't think so. Where's daddy?"

"He's going to meet us here." Demeter smiled at her daughter and petted her head. She gazed at the horizon and noticed that in a couple of minutes the sun would set. Macavity's words echoed in her head and she prayed to the Everlasting Cat that he would make it out.

"Mommy, you have boo-boo." Jemima pointed at all the scratches littering Demeter's body, and Demeter smiled bravely. "It doesn't hurt, and you know why? Because I have you."

Jemima smiled, stretching her arms out to hug her mother. Demeter winced as they made contact, but it didn't stop her from holding onto her daughter in a tight embrace.

Macavity could tell he didn't have much time left to live. He decided to spend his last moments thinking of Demeter and Jemima. He rolled over to look out of one of the windows and from his place on the ground, watched the sunset that he knew Demeter would be watching, too.

"Mommy, look how pretty." Jemima pointed a paw towards the sun. It was just a sliver above the horizon now, the sky above a variation of colors.

Demeter was facing the sun, she could not turn around and see the little face with that ever-eager and energetic expression. She didn't understand what had just happened. She didn't know that she would never see her father again. How was Demeter supposed to tell her that? How could Demeter be the one to break the heart of a child?

She let the tears fall silently, knowing that Macavity would not come to meet them. She had to suppress the pain, the heartache, she couldn't let herself feel it yet, not when her daughter's life was still in danger. She took Jemima by the paw and began walking further into the woods.

The sound of a twig snapping beneath someone's foot made Demeter spin around. Maybe Macavity had survived after all. How foolish she was to be so quick to think he was dead!

Demeter turned, but saw a beast, not Macavity. She was instantly terrified. "Run, Jemima!"

Jemima did not understand, she tilted her head to the side in confusion. "You come, too." She demanded of her mother, who kneeled in front of her.

"I will darling but you first. Keep on running and don't look back. I'll be right behind you." Demeter smiled and kissed Jemima on the nose. "Now go."

Jemima began walking away from her mother, still not completely understanding what was happening.

"Go faster Jemima, please! Run! I'll be right there! I'll always be with you." The last sentence she spoke softer, and she watched as Jemima ran off, disappearing into the brush of the woods.

She turned angrily to face the dog that threatened her daughter and herself. It was about to run after Jemima, but Demeter wasn't about to let that happen. She stepped in front of him, puffing out her fur and trying to make herself as fierce-looking as possible.

"I don't think so, you filthy animal. If you want that kitten you're going to have to go through me."

The Pollicle growled in frustration, looking back and forth between Demeter and the place in the woods where Jemima had last been.

It lunged at Demeter, and Demeter braced for the impact. They tossed each other around, slashing and biting and punching and kicking. Demeter fought like she never had before, for there was never a greater reason than protecting the life of her daughter, her own flesh and blood. Macavity would be proud if he saw her now.

Just when she thought she had the Pollicle right where she wanted him, the nasty flea-ravaged mutt moved faster in the last possible second and slammed Demeter on the ground with his gigantic paw, sending her into a realm of unconsciousness. The Pollicle took off towards Jemima.

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_A/N: Should have more up by tonight. Hope you're liking it so far. If you have suggestions, opinions, or anything of that sort, feel free to drop me a review. Thanks! _


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews and for favoriting/following! _

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When she opened her eyes, she didn't know where she was or what had happened. She knew she was aching all over, and that there were injuries on her body she couldn't remember getting. Her head panged with a terrible pain and when she eased herself onto her feet, she almost fell down. It was when she looked over to the grey boulder that it all came rushing back. It was the same boulder she had sat Jemima on.

"Oh, Jemima. Please be safe." Demeter whispered to herself. She could only hope that the time she took stalling the Pollicle had given Jemima enough of a chance. She had intended to kill the barbaric creature but it just didn't happen.

She brushed herself off and decided she would return to the Warehouse, maybe she could find Macavity, or maybe Jemima had the idea to return home when things had settled… Demeter didn't know what to expect, but she needed to know what there was to find, if anything. As she started towards what remained of her home, her hind paw betrayed her, so she was forced to limp.

The darkness of the night would have made it difficult to see, but she was a feline. The ability to see in the dark was not a challenge for Demeter whatsoever. She cautiously stepped over tree roots, taking into consideration her wounded limb as well as the other injuries beginning to cause her more and more pain as she continued to move. She was in poor shape, but because there was a chance she could find Macavity or her daughter at the Warehouse, the chance that maybe not all of her life had been shattered, was more than enough motivation to move onward.

Demeter slipped through the same flap of the door that she and Jemima had escaped out of. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen and looking into the main room, she took it all in: the bodies strewn all over the place, the pungent smell, the ravaged interior of the building. It was considerably quieter now that the fighting had ceased.

Trying not to step on any of the fallen seekers, Demeter navigated to the best of her ability through the tangled mess of bodies. There were more fallen seekers than Pollicles and this made Demeter's insides constrict with dread and uneasiness, automatically thinking that more of Macavity's seekers perished than those deplorable animals.

An hour passes.

Sixty minutes worth of searching had given her the same thing she'd started with: nothing. There was no sign of Macavity or Jemima. This didn't comfort her at all. She was exhausted now, and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wither away into oblivion.

"Hello? Is there anybody in here?" A voice was calling through the house and Demeter didn't recognize it. She crept towards the voice, curious to see who would be here at a time like this.

"My name's Munkustrap. If there's anyone in here I'd like to help you."

Munkustrap. Demeter knew him, but what was he doing here? She didn't know whether to approach him or run for cover. When she left the Junkyard to be with Macavity, they hadn't exactly left on good terms. They disagreed with each other and instead of resolving the situation between them, Demeter chose to leave things as they were.

Still, she couldn't help herself and headed in Munkustrap's direction. She rounded the corner and greeted him. "Hello, Munkustrap."

"Demeter! Thank goodness. I was hoping to find you here. Our noses detected Pollicles in the area and we wanted to investigate. By the looks of the first floor I'm afraid we were too late. Are you alright?"

"I'll be okay. Did you find anything?" Demeter was trying to be hopeful, but Munkustrap could easily tell that she was desperate and about to crumble.

"You mean… did I find Macavity?" Demeter nodded in response to his question.

"No, I'm sorry."

Demeter nodded slightly to acknowledge him, pressing her lips together in an attempt to confine her emotions, but it was just too much. Macavity was gone and it crushed her heart like an elephant stomping on a grape. Her expression contorted in that familiar way one does before the tears spill and the sobs come bursting out. Demeter collapsed to her knees, finally drained of whatever strength she had left.

Munkustrap, though fully aware that they weren't exactly friends, moved toward the golden-ebony queen to comfort her. He kneeled down in front of her and took her in his arms, trying with all his might to sooth her with his embrace. Seeing her like this, so distraught and broken, made something spark inside his chest. It was on overwhelming urge to protect her and never see her like this again.

"Everything okay up there?" Someone from Munkustrap's team was calling up the staircase.

"Yes, Plato. Everything's fine. I'll be down in a minute."

Munkustrap listened to the old wood creaking beneath Plato's paws as he retreated down the stairs.

"You know," Munkustrap dried Demeter's tears, "you can come home with us, seeing as how there's nothing left for you here."

"I don't know, Munkustrap. I've been gone for so long." She sniffed away the last of her crying, trying to recompose herself, suddenly very embarrassed at seeming so vulnerable and helpless.

"That doesn't matter. Besides, you don't have to stay long, how about just sticking around until you can get back on your paws? And once you're feeling alright, you'll be free to leave or stay."

"Are you sure that'd be okay?" Demeter looked up at him for the first time since he joined her down on the floor. He laughed at her question. "Are you kidding? Jennyanydots talks about you at least twice a day, and Bombalurina sure misses you a lot." Demeter still looked indecisive, so Munkustrap continued. "Come on, I know the Junkyard hasn't been your home for a while, and I'm sure it will take some getting used to, but it was your first home, so maybe it won't be as awkward or uncomfortable as you're thinking it will be."

Demeter sighed, and Munkustrap could tell by the look on her face that he'd succeeded in persuading her. "Okay, Munkus." She smiled.

Munkustrap got to his paws victoriously, then helped Demeter up off the ground. As he turned to exit the room, Demeter stopped him by placing a paw on his shoulder. "Hey Munk, thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now let's get you to the yard before you faint."

The group of Jellicle cats, Munkustrap and Demeter included, entered into the woods, heading away from the Warehouse. Demeter had a difficult time, but Munkustrap was there to help, supporting more than half her weight by taking her arm around his shoulder. Her paws were barely touching the ground, and she was grateful.

"Munkustrap, could we stop for a few minutes? I think I'd like some time for myself." Munkustrap lowered her to the ground, uncoiling her arm from around his neck. "Go on, I'll catch up with you." Demeter ushered him forward while she stayed behind. She stood beside the grey boulder, a few tears trailing down her cheeks.

She took a deep breath, taking in as much oxygen as her lungs could hold, allowing it to ease her mind as she exhaled slowly. She was turning a page in the book of her life, and though it was painful to do, it had to be done. She knew she would mourn - her heart would never fully heal from this incredible loss - but she wasn't the type of cat to let life keep her down. It was something she learned from Macavity. She was a fighter and she had him to thank for that.

Just as she turned to head towards Munkustrap and the rest of the team, something jagged beneath her paw caused her to gasp and jerk it away. She looked to the ground in astonishment at the object. It was a collar.

She bent over carefully, trying not to fall altogether, her legs trembling. She scooped up the tiny collar and wiped the dirt from it. It belonged to Jemima. The tiny jewels that studded the kitten's collar glistened in the moonlight. The leather was smooth as Demeter caressed it with her fingers.

"Demeter, is everything okay?" Panicking at the sight of an approaching Munkustrap, Demeter shoved the collar inside her own, pressing it firmly to be sure it would stay in its place. She would never tell Munkustrap or any of the other Jellicles about Jemima… at least not for a while. It was too painful, they didn't need to know about it…

"Yes, sorry I was taking so long."

"No, you weren't, not at all. I just wanted to make sure that that ankle of yours wasn't giving you too much trouble."

Demeter smiled, "I guess I could use a little help." Munkustrap was instantly by her side, but this time, instead of putting her arm around his shoulder like Demeter expected, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her all the way to the Junkyard.

It wasn't until now that she realized how much she missed her friend, and hoped tremendously that whatever ill feelings resided between them could be left in the past.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry, not a lot of things happening in this chapter, most of it's conversation between Demeter and others in the Junkyard. I hope it's not too dry. Perhaps at the end of the chapter you could let me know in a review? I try to do the best I can to make stories enjoyable, and if they're not, I won't know it unless you tell me!_

* * *

Demeter yawned and stretched, shoving away the blankets that had kept her warm through the night. She was in Jenny's den. Just as Demeter hadn't realized how much she missed Munkustrap, she also underestimated how much she'd missed her own mother. Even if Jenny did adopt Demeter as a kitten, Demeter was certain that no real mother could have done a better job of raising, nurturing, and loving their young as Jenny had when Demeter was growing up.

As if on cue, Jenny entered the room. It was the same room Demeter had for herself when she still lived at the Junkyard years ago. Munkustrap was right, she was feeling comfortable and it was something Demeter thought would never happen after all the time she spent with Macavity at the Warehouse. Nothing could compare to the way she felt during that chapter of her life, but she was starting a new chapter, embarking on a new journey, and she was trying her best to cope.

"How's my lovely daughter doing this morning?" Jenny greeted cheerfully, plopping down beside Demeter, pushing away some stray strands of Demeter's head-fur from her eyes.

"I feel much better, thanks mom." Demeter smiled, moving the orange fussing paw down so she could hug her mother fondly. Jenny more than willingly returned the gesture.

Parting from her daughter, Jenny put both her hands on Demeter's shoulders. "You'd better be hungry, young miss. I've got a smorgasbord out there on the table."

"Mom, this is the fourth day in a row. Will you stop trying to make me fat?"

"I can't help it, dear! Your father spends all his time at the station, I never get the chance to cook for anyone anymore. And besides, when have you ever complained about my cooking?"

"When has anyone ever complained about your cooking?" Demeter quipped.

Jenny smiled broadly. "That's my girl! Now I expect you out in ten minutes." She handed over a pair of crutches to Demeter before leaving her to groom herself, but Demeter held up her paw. "Not today, mom. I think I've got this."

Jenny grinned and bowed slightly. "Very well, but I still expect to see you in ten."

"Alright." Demeter laughed. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and carefully rose to her full height, feeling optimistic about the day ahead.

After eating enough of a breakfast to satisfy Jenny, Demeter headed off to the tire where she was planning to meet up with Bombalurina.

"Hey, girl!" Bombalurina was bright as ever.

"Hey there. So what's new?" Demeter hugged her friend, though some say they behaved and seemed more like sisters.

"Since the last time we chatted? Oh, I don't know… a lot!" Bombalurina laughed.

"Well, start anywhere. I'm sure you've got plenty of gossip to fill me up with." Demeter patted her friend on the back as they leapt to the top of the tire. Demeter was never one to gossip, but Bombalurina sure was, and Demeter was the one she seemed to like talking to about it the most. Demeter didn't mind, it's what best friends did.

"Well, Tugger and I are now an item." She beamed with pride.

"Good for you! I'm glad he finally opened up his eyes to see what was right in front of him."

"I'm glad you see it that way, poor little Etcetera has it out for me."

"I bet." Demeter chuckled.

"What about you, though? Everyone says you haven't really talked at all about anything. I'm not asking you to talk to me, but I do want to remind you that I'm here if you need me, and that talking might help if you're struggling to deal with everything that's happened."

Demeter smiled nervously, no one had even attempted to get her to talk other than her mother, but she didn't speak about anything. For the most part they all just gave her sympathetic looks and filled in the blanks for themselves, Everlasting Cat knows what kinds of stories were created. Nevertheless, everybody was welcoming and seemed pleased to have her home again.

"I wouldn't know what to say to you. There's so much."

"Say anything! Even cliff note's version will do. Just tell me whatever you want to tell me." Bombalurina encouraged.

Demeter sighed. "Well, despite what everyone thinks, I'm okay."

"I have no doubt in my mind that you are."

"Macavity and I were mates, obviously. I spent some of the most wonderful days of my life with him. I can't honestly tell you what I'm feeling, because I'm not entirely allowing myself to feel it. I won't."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid…"

"Dem, there's nothing to be afraid of. Something horrible and totally unforeseen happened to you and keeping it bottled up won't help." Bombalurina said eagerly.

"You never did have much patience." Demeter scoffed playfully, earning her a gentle shove from her friend beside her.

Just as silence crept up on them, Demeter ventured further. "There's something that nobody knows, Bomba. It's something I want to keep secret. Can I trust you?"

"Does a cat have nine lives?"

Demeter gave her a flat look before speaking. "Well… Macavity and I had a daughter together."

Bombalurina's eyes widened then softened. "She's not here with you now, does that mean…"

"I don't know. You would've loved her, though. She was the sweetest, most enchanting kitten this side of the Thames."

"I'm sure she was. Who did she look like?"

"Both of us. She was a perfect little blend of both me and Macavity. I don't know what happened to her. Macavity told me to take her to the woods and he'd meet us there while he fought off the Pollicles with his seekers. If he didn't show by sunset I was supposed to leave without him. He's the reason why I'm alive right now and I wish to Heaviside I could thank him."

"Maybe one day you will. So what happened next?"

"Well, I had to fight a few mongrels but I made it out to the woods with Jemima."

Bombalurina smiled, "Her name was Jemima? How adorable."

Demeter smiled, then went on. "The sun was setting, and there was no sign of him." Demeter ignored the tears that quietly trickled down to her chin. "I had to leave him there." Bombalurina put her paw on Demeter's shoulder to comfort her, the golden-ebony feline sighed and went on, "So I was going to take Jemima and get her to safety as much as it hurt to have to do, but a Pollicle showed up, so I had to do something that was going to hurt even more."

"What did you do?"

"I told her to run. My own daughter! And she did. She ran off into the woods while I fought the Pollicle. But I wasn't very successful. I was knocked unconscious and I assume it ran off to find her. I don't know if she made it…"

"Oh Demi, I'm sure she did. She had both you and Macavity in her, you can't get much better than that."

"The only thing I have left," Demeter reached into her collar and removed the studded leather strap, "is this." Now Bombalurina was the one who had tears flowing down her face.

"Oh, sweetie." Bombalurina took Demeter into a tight hug. Demeter didn't cry other than the few silent tears. She assured Bombalurina that she would be okay in time, and then urged Bombalurina to fill her in with more gossip to lighten the mood and the scarlet queen was more than happy to oblige, she knew Demeter had wanted her to change the subject and she completely understood.

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_A/N: If you hated that chapter, I'm sorry. The next one you'll hopefully like a bit more. Demeter's going to go off on her own to try and find some answers, but I won't spoil anything more than that! Stay tuned!_


	7. Chapter 7

Something Bombalurina had mentioned earlier had triggered an idea to form in Demeter's mind.

"_I told her to run. My own daughter! And she did. She ran off into the woods while I fought the Pollicle. But I wasn't very successful. I was knocked unconscious and I assume it ran off to find her. I don't know if she made it…"_

"_Oh Demi, I'm sure she did. __**She had both you and Macavity in her, you can't get much better than that.**__"_

Demeter thought about Jemima's chances for survival after forcing Bombalurina's echoing words to stop whirling around and around. Jemima didn't know how to take care of herself. She was only a kitten. She couldn't find food on her own or know where to go to find shelter. Demeter soon realized that the odds would not weigh in her daughter's favor. Though, perhaps being born with Macavity's and Demeter's blood in her veins, could save her. Demeter had excellent skills when it came to foraging, whether it be for food or for shelter, and Macavity was a genius (he ran his own business!) and maybe for these reasons Jemima would be able to last a little longer, maybe just long enough for her mother to find her.

And that was Demeter's plan: she would find Jemima.

At dawn, without telling a single soul where she was headed, she left the Junkyard through the large pipe. No cat had even risen from slumber yet when she went in search of her daughter. The hunt had begun and Demeter relied on her senses to lead her to what she wanted to find most. Her nostrils filled with the hundreds of smells in the area, but there was just one that she focused on among the others. It was faint, but it was definitely there, and she followed it with unwavering determination.

She'd been traveling all morning before she found herself facing the gates of the impound lot where the Pollicles resided. Jemima's scent trailed forward through the gate. What did this mean? Was she captured by the Pollicles? Was she alive? _Was she dead?_

Demeter forced her mind to stop racing once more, she'd never be able to function properly if her thoughts swarmed like a hive of frantic bees. She would do the only thing that made sense: she would wait around the impound lot for a sign of Jemima's existence. She would sneak inside and look around, she would follow Jemima's scent until they were reunited. Granted, this meant Demeter would be away from the Junkyard longer than she originally planned, but there wasn't a question in her mind regarding her course of action. Her daughter came first.

There were Pollicles surrounding the gates of the impound lot, several lounging inside of dilapidated vehicles. A few were playing tug-of-war with pieces of detached bumpers and Heaviside knows what else. They growled while they played, slobber flying everywhere and in all directions. The scene made Demeter quiver. She didn't know how, but she needed to find a way to get into that lot without getting eaten. She needed to think…

Luckily for Demeter, she didn't have to think for too long. A vehicle of some kind, much larger than the others around the lot and in much better condition, turned into the impound lot with another vehicle behind it. The Pollicles scattered, and Demeter saw her chance and seized the opportunity.

Keeping her distance from the loud machine that continued to drag the battered car, she crawled into the lot, keeping low to the ground and as hidden as possible. She came upon a barrel. It appeared to be made of either steel or metal. Either way, a small hole was punctured through the side of the barrel, a hole that was just big enough for an eye to peep through, and it was from this hole that Jemima's scent wafted out of.

Demeter crouched lower, pressing her eye to the small opening. She saw nothing but darkness and heard no noises.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? Can anyone hear me?" Demeter whispered.

"We can hear you, kitty."

Demeter spun around to see a pack of hungry Pollicles surrounding her. They grinned evilly and anxiously scraped the ground with their feet. They taunted her by licking their mouths with their tongue, drooling at the sight of her. With a swift flick of the leader's tail, they charged all at once and Demeter had no time to react. They slammed her into the barrel, knocking it over. The loud clatter frightened the Pollicles but only for a brief second. It wasn't long enough of a distraction for Demeter to escape. They pounded into her, trying to kill her so they could make a meal out of her. They held her down with their colossal paws, the claws on their ends digging deeper into Demeter's flesh.

She was ready to quit, but it was then that Macavity's memory supplied her with strength. She knew he would expect nothing less of her than victory. He taught her to be a fighter, and that's just what Demeter did. Funny how Macavity was saving her life even from beyond the grave. She unleashed a ton of fury on those Pollicles and ran like her bum was on fire.

She knew she couldn't return to the Junkyard in her condition, not without questions being asked of her, questions she wouldn't want to answer, so she relied on those impeccable survival skills and sought shelter and food for the next week, giving herself all the time she needed to recover from her Pollicle run-in. Demeter also figured that within that week she could come up with some kind of excuse for her absence, or at least that's what she hoped.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, this was short, but you're in for a surprise next chapter! And hopefully it'll be up in a few minutes. Any guesses?_


	8. Chapter 8

Jemima was terrified. She was at the bottom of some kind of tall container. She couldn't leap out, she couldn't dig through the bottom… she was stuck there.

Why did that Pollicle have to catch her? If only her mother was more successful in holding off the Pollicle that followed them into the woods then she might have gotten free. She was so close! She couldn't blame her mother though, she'd tried her best, and Jemima would always appreciate it and admire her mother's efforts.

There was no one to save her from the Pollicle that had found her hiding at the base of a tree, the same Pollicle that she assumed had killed her mother. She hung in its mouth, caught between its teeth until they reached a strange place with strange things. They tossed her into the container and that's where she'd been since the night she'd lost both her parents and the only place she knew as home.

Only once did someone try and speak to her. His name was Rufus. He told Jemima of all the plans he had for her, but when she instinctively lashed out at him with a tiny paw, he grew livid and forced her to stay in the cylindrical can for as long as he wished.

Suddenly, there was a noise. A loud grumbling noise that Jemima had never heard before. She peeked through the hole in the barrel and noticed that the Pollicles were fleeing. She wasn't sure if this made her relieved or if it only horrified her more.

She didn't know what it was that passed by, but she knew it was something to be avoided, especially if the Pollicles were running from it. To keep herself safe, she secured herself as far back into the space as she could go, and tucked her head in her arms which held her knees close to her chest.

There was a whisper… a familiar voice… Jemima was intrigued by it but she was also fearful. It could've been someone who wanted to hurt her, so Jemima remained quiet, just in case.

Then she heard it… the growling. They were back! Those nasty Pollicles had returned. The can was being flipped over onto its side suddenly, Jemima didn't know how or why but she knew that this was her chance to run for it. Jemima was confused, she didn't know what made the container tip over, allowing her to run for her life, but she was extremely happy that it had. As much as she tried looking behind her to see what had caused the commotion, she didn't see anything but Pollicles apparently trying to grab at something? Jemima wasn't sure what she saw, but she turned her face forward and kept running, as fast as her little legs could take her.

She didn't know what she would do now… her parents had died, she had no home… whatever she did though, it would have to wait. Jemima was starving and her nose soon detected a delectable mouse not far from where she was. Her stomach rumbled with hunger and she took off in its direction on impulse. Maybe living on the streets wouldn't be as much of a challenge as she feared…


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to update this but I took some extra time to read the chapters I have of this story and decided I would add to it. I wrote 2/3 of the story a while ago, but now I think I'll change things up and make it more interesting. And also, thank you so incredibly much for reviewing! If you like the story, I hope I don't let you down/ruin it!_

* * *

It was the end of the week and Demeter's wounds had healed from the Pollicle attack. She had told herself a week ago that when she had fully recovered she would return to the Junkyard, but now that she was feeling better she wasn't sure she could do that. She felt energized and recharged and didn't want to give up, not on her daughter.

She searched everywhere, but still found nothing, even for weeks.

With each day that passed she felt less and less hopeful. She couldn't find Jemima anywhere, she couldn't detect her scent or find her tiny paw prints. There was nothing to lead her, nothing to guide her, nothing to give her the slightest clue as to her daughter's whereabouts. She wanted to find her daughter more than anything, and it killed her to not know whether or not she was alive. Jemima was all that was left of her life with Macavity and she desperately wanted to have her safe. Demeter wanted to hug Jemima, she wanted to watch her grow, she wanted to teach her about life, she wanted to be a mother in every aspect, but she'd never do that without Jemima. Had she failed as a mother? Did she fail Jemima when she told her to run into the woods that evening?

She absolutely felt as though she failed her somehow, and after a month's worth of searching, she finally headed home for the Jellicle Junkyard, emotionally defeated and destroyed.

Utterly despondent, she traveled towards home. Her paws felt as though there were weights attached to them as they dragged on the ground. Demeter didn't want to go home, not alone. She hoped Jemima could be with her. She didn't know what she would say to everyone at the Junkyard. Disappearing for a month would without a doubt stir up dozens of questions.

Demeter's ear twitched… there was a rustling noise coming from the alley on her left…

She stopped walking and looked down the alley from where she stood. Immediately her hopes skyrocketed, no matter how much she tried to push them down. The alley was filthy, cardboard boxes were everywhere, garbage of all kinds equally present. Like a slithering snake, steam weaved through the maze of trash on the ground from a drain in the nearby street. Besides the trash and fog, all that was there was a large dumpster which sat ominously on its own, nothing but the brick side of a building behind it.

Demeter approached the chain linked fence that separated the alley from the pavement. She peered through one of the openings, her nose and whiskers poking through. Another rustling sound echoed from what Demeter thought to be the inside of the dumpster. She decided she would try to get to the dumpster to find out for sure. Demeter wanted to avoid climbing over the fence, which would be feasible but considerably difficult. If there was an easier way, Demeter wanted to find it. There was an opening on the bottom edge of the fence, just big enough of an opening for her to wriggle under.

She crouched low to the ground and used her limbs to propel herself forward slowly, tucking her head down and flattening her ears to avoid getting them caught on the protruding parts of the fence. Soon she was through to the other side, facing the grimy object.

Demeter stalked towards it, cautious as to what was inside, but before she could get close enough to find an answer, a noose of some sort was slipped around her throat suddenly.

Demeter was instantly frightened and the need to run and escape was overwhelming. The noose tightened every time she tried to pull from it, so she decided to stay still. The rope around her neck was attached to a long pole, and at the end of the pole, was a human.

"Humans! Everlasting Cat, not humans!" Demeter cried, knowing all too well what happened once captured by humans. From what she heard of them, unless you had a collar (which Demeter did not have), they would whisk you off to some horrid place and nobody would ever see you again. Tears slid down her face, for the thought of being taken off to Heaviside knows where by these creatures and never finding Jemima was too much for her heart to bear or for her mind to process.

Another human stepped out of a van, which read "Animal Control" on the side of it. The two humans spoke but Demeter could not understand.

One human took steps towards Demeter while the other human held onto the pole. "Watch yourself, Jerry. That one's going to have a fit the moment you pick her up." One said to the other. The other human waved his hand behind him as if to shush his partner. He crept closer and closer. Demeter took a good look at him: his paws had elongated tips, no claws at all on the ends, and most shockingly – no fur! This was the first time Demeter was seeing a human up close, and if given the opportunity she would do everything in her power never to see one again.

Demeter was about ready to pass out. Her head was spinning and her vision was blurring. She felt like she couldn't get enough oxygen into her lungs, despite how heavily/rapidly she was already breathing.

As soon as the oddly shaped paws reached down to touch her, Demeter hissed, she lashed out with her claws, she even tried biting, but the human kept coming towards her. Not only were humans bald, but they were stupid, too! Demeter couldn't escape, not while that thing was around her neck, and she couldn't get through to the bird-brained human that she didn't want to be bothered, so she let them take her after a solid fifteen minutes of resisting. She was exhausted, out of ideas, and strained from the ordeal. She would let the humans take her, but that didn't mean she'd give up on her quest to find Jemima.

She prayed to the Everlasting Cat that she could have another chance. She didn't want to fail as a mother. She didn't want all that was left of her life with Macavity to be gone. She didn't want these humans to kill her. She didn't want it to end like this.

Little did the humans know, she wasn't going to let it…

* * *

_A/N: I know, in the movie and I think plays too, Demeter's got a collar, but she doesn't have one in this story, at least not yet. All will be revealed in time, I promise!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Italics within the body of the chapter typically refer to thoughts of the character._

* * *

Munkustrap was on patrol. He padded alongside the border of the Junkyard, nodding and smiling to cats as they passed by. His mind was on other things though, particularly the golden-ebony queen who'd been missing for a month.

Everyone wondered what had happened to her, where she'd gone, and why she'd left. Jennyanydots was especially nervous, understandably. She claimed Demeter had seemed rather satisfied being in her old room. According to Jenny, Demeter seemed like there was nothing wrong at all.

Maybe that should've been the first red flag that something was up. She'd been through a lot and maybe she wasn't as okay as she made everyone believe. Munkustrap wanted to punt himself across the yard at being so blind. _Of course she wasn't totally okay! Munkustrap, you're such a dunce!_

Bombalurina wouldn't talk about it, and Munkustrap suspected that she knew something, or at least she had an idea that she wasn't willing to share, but if things kept up this way for much longer, Munkustrap wasn't sure what he'd do. He missed Demeter.

He was surprised at himself when he discovered that he'd missed the Jellicle beauty. When she left to be with Macavity, he thought their friendship was doomed. Seeing her again however made him realize how much he'd missed her, and also made him realize that maybe he wanted something more than friendship from Demeter, and maybe he'd felt that way all along. Perhaps that's why it bothered him so much when she left the Junkyard…

Either way, Demeter wasn't here now. A search party had just returned after two days of tracking and had come home empty-pawed. There was no sign of her. She didn't want to be found was the explanation Munkustrap had come up with, but he didn't have an explanation for why.

Munkustrap was puzzled. He continued to pace along the edges of the Junkyard, his paws holding onto each other behind his back. He vowed to himself that he would protect Demeter when he found her at the Warehouse and felt like he'd done a completely lousy job of upholding that vow.

He didn't know where Demeter had gone or what she was doing out there, but he hoped to Heaviside that she was alright and would return to the Junkyard soon. He wanted to tell her how much he truly loved her, and how he'd loved her from the beginning… before it was too late.

* * *

_A/N: Up next, we find out what Jemima's been up to! Sorry she's been out of the story for a while, but she's coming back, and there will be plenty of her as the story progresses. It might seem like this is mostly a Demeter story, and it's only because she's my favorite and I've written more stories for her than any other CATS character. Sorry non-Demeter fan readers! _


	11. Chapter 11

_Before the chapter begins, let me get this out of the way before you guys get to thinking I've been ignoring you!_

_Malurina: Thank you so much for reviewing my chapters and stories, you're always the one I can count on for an honest review! You might be surprised as you read what Jemima's been up to in this chapter. After a month of growing up on her own, a lot's changed. Be prepared! Hopefully you won't find it too drastic to the point you don't like it, but you won't know until you read!_

_KahnShao: So you're just getting into Cats, huh? Welcome! I'll warn you now – it gets addicting, especially if you're writing about the characters, though reading about them in the stories is just as enthralling. There will be lots of Jemima to come so hopefully you'll be pleased. Glad you're liking the story and thanks for reviewing! _

_littlemissdemeter: Thanks for reading and leaving the reviews! Yes, I will be updating The Price of Freedom soon. The college semester is almost at a finish so I'll be able to update ALL of my stories (Heaviside knows there are plenty of them "in-progress"). So just a little more patience and before you know it there will be new chapters for you to read. Promise!_

_To anyone else out there reading: I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. If you have any opinions/questions/suggestions, or even if you absolutely hate the story and would stomp and spit on it if it were printed, feel free to let me know!_

* * *

From her lofty position on the tree branch, she could view her surroundings for what seemed like miles. There was a park in the distance, and if Jemima closed her eyes and focused, she could hear children running about madly, she could hear the water in a river rushing urgently, she could hear cars and trucks traveling, and she could hear the birds flying above.

It seemed peaceful, but after a month of residing in the tree, Jemima was immune to its tranquility-invoking qualities. She was bored more than anything else. She'd stored enough mice to last her for weeks, there was no other cat around for her to socialize with, and nothing new for her to explore. Doing nothing caused her to become irritable, she grew restless and almost a little crazy at times.

Jemima was tough and could handle things on her own. She'd learned that the hard way when Pollicles chased her, or when other animals tried to steal her food and she was forced to defend it. She had to learn to survive, and from the looks of it, she'd done a pretty good job. Sure, she didn't have friends or family or a home with humans – whatever they were – but she did have shelter, she did have food, and she did have her health. For that Jemima was grateful, but it wasn't enough to sustain her. She needed some kind of recreation, she needed to find something to do to fill up those long and lonely hours of the day, and of the night for that matter…

She leapt onto the tree beside her own and from there jumped onto the roof of a small house. She made her way down to the ground with agility and grace, lightly thumping to the grass of what the humans referred to as a "backyard". It was time to venture out and continue to do what she'd been doing for the past two weeks – getting herself into trouble.

She was reluctant of course, but what else was there to do? Wreaking havoc seemed like the only sensible thing to do in Jemima's mind. There was nobody to tell her otherwise, so why not?

She rummaged through people's cars when they left windows rolled down, she tipped over garbage cans and raided them for Heaviside knows what, she tore up perfectly trimmed grass just because she could, and she even picked fights with unsuspecting groups of cats.

Jemima had rules though. She forbade herself from beating up on totally innocent felines. Requirements had to be met before she would unleash her pent-up energy. One, they had to be at least her age, and two, they had to be seeking trouble like herself. She often found humor in their expressions when they would take their first look at her after she threatened them. They had no idea what was coming, they had no idea that within the petite ball of fur that Jemima was there could be so much strength and power…

There was nothing like an adrenaline-pumping brawl to make Jemima feel like she'd accomplished something. It was on days when there were no fights at all that she felt like she'd missed a very important quota.

She would wonder to herself: Why am I doing this? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Am I happy this way?

The answer disturbed Jemima, because usually the answer was that she wasn't satisfied with this life, but she knew of nothing else or of how to change things. There were days of course that she missed her parents, but the memories she had of them were vague and hazy.

"Hey, you!" a voice caused Jemima to turn around in the direction it came from. There were two felines, one of which she recognized and the other she did not. The feline she recognized was one of her victims. He'd been trying to steal her mice but she caught him from behind and gave him painful reasons not to do it again. The fur patterns on the two cats were similar, Jemima noticed they were both a marbled color of brown, white, and ebony.

"What do you want?" Jemima questioned them pugnaciously.

"Are you the one who attacked my little brother?" The female nudged her chin to her left, where a young tom stood defiantly. His arms were crossed over his chest and Jemima laughed on the inside of how brave he seemed whereas the last time she saw him, he was fleeing as fast as he could, even tripping over his own paws.

"The little punk deserved what he got." Jemima claimed nonchalantly.

"So you are the one." The tall female's eyes turned to slits.

"Yes, so what? I taught the little bugger a lesson he obviously needed to learn." Jemima looked directly at the tom as she spoke.

"Well see, that's not allowed."

"Says who?" Jemima's brow crinkled as she retorted, now turning her gaze to the female.

"Says me! I'm his older sister and I don't let nobody pick on him but me! That's the rules when you have siblings, and you broke those rules, so now you have to answer to me."

Jemima growled and commented through gritted teeth. "I don't answer to anybody."

"You'll learn to answer to me by the time I'm through with you."

Jemima laughed, it was interesting to have the tables turned on her, to be on the receiving end of an attack, even when it was still a verbal one. Usually it was herself who would be the one to instigate a fight or quarrel. She was enjoying the change-up.

"I dare you to try." Jemima arched her spine and circled around the pair of cats, never deviating her line of site from the sister.

The female turned towards her and lashed out, catching Jemima on the shoulder. Jemima was fast to return a blow, and the confrontation had reached new heights. Both cats were now tearing each other apart, at least that's what it would have looked like from a human's perspective, but Jemima was the least wounded of the two by far.

Jemima had the sister pinned to the ground and was about to continue delivering punch after punch, but the calico sister held up her paws, and it was then that Jemima noticed how frightened she was. She was cowering, to Jemima's amazement… and horror.

Jemima instantly rose from her opponent, seeing how much more defeated she was. She offered to help the feline to her paws, but she backed away. Jemima tried to find words, but none came. She suddenly felt very guilty, and she regretted what she'd done. It had never happened before and it was a strange and awkward situation.

The sister was aided to her feet by her younger brother, and the two of them bolted from Jemima as fast as they could. Jemima looked down and closed her eyes, realizing that this life was not the one she wanted to live. This individual, this angry, mad-at-the-world, aggressive adolescent was not the kind of cat Jemima wanted to be. She was ashamed of herself.

Jemima's chest was rising and falling rapidly as she was out of breath from her encounter. Just as the last glimpse of the two siblings vanished around a corner, she turned away and headed for her tree, kicking empty boxes along the way in anger.

She effortlessly reached her preferred branch and curled up into a ball, bursting out into tears. Why she was crying all of a sudden was a mystery to Jemima. Was it because she was so unhappy with herself? Could it be that she wished for another chance at life? Would she ever be able to make something of herself, something she could actually be proud of?

Jemima wanted the answer to the latter question to be yes, but she did not believe it could happen. She knew that she would never amount to anything. She would continue her rotten existence because it was all she knew and it was all she seemed to have a talent for. How horrid, she thought, to have a talent only good for hurting others…

If only that could change…


	12. Chapter 12

Demeter wasn't sure where she was, she wasn't even sure she wanted to know. The table she was being held upon was metallic and felt icy beneath the pads of her feet. She was being restrained by stubborn humans who refused to let her go, no matter how much she squirmed and complained. They were speaking to each other, but just like in the alley, Demeter could not understand them.

"What do you think we should do? She looks well fed, not too many fleas, and she's quite a pretty cat. I wonder if she's got an owner." One veterinary technician commented to another vet, only he was in a white coat. The technician firmly held Demeter down.

"No, she has no collar, no microchip. She's a stray. Shelter policy states that any animal brought in off the streets must be given immediate care, and that includes spaying."

"It's what's best. I'll get the paperwork started." The vet technician removed her hands from Demeter. The tortoiseshell thought it would be the perfect chance to escape, but before she could move a single inch, the vet with the white coat took over for the technician, and Demeter was stuck there on the table, totally vulnerable and defenseless.

The technician returned with a clipboard. As she entered the room, the door jammed, and it knocked into her, sending the clipboard clattering to the ground, all the papers that were attached to it floating down to the polished floor like leaves falling from a tree in autumn.

The vet instinctively went to help the technician tidy up the mess, leaving Demeter on the table with no restraint. She didn't want them to notice, she wanted to be still so they wouldn't realize their mistake. As they continued picking up the forms, another technician opened the door. Demeter didn't know for what reason, all she knew was there was suddenly a gateway to freedom and she was going through it.

The people in the clinical office immediately stared at her as she frantically ran around the building, searching for an exit. Her paws were moving double-time, and her head turned in every direction so her eyes could scan her surroundings. There were tables, chairs, other people with animals, even cats in cages! Strangely the felines didn't seem bothered by their current situation, they were all intrigued by Demeter's attempt. Some were barking, some were chirping, others just watched in bewilderment.

The secretaries from behind a desk came running around the corner towards Demeter, but she was too fast for them. She darted left and right, in a crazed zigzag fashion. Her energy was depleting, but she wasn't about to give up.

She noticed a window, slightly open. It was enough for her to squeeze through so she charged towards it. She was about to launch herself upwards to the windowsill when a pair of legs stepped in front of her. The vet with the white coat was standing in front of her with a net. She cautiously backed away from him, the other staff members joining him by his side as they closed the gaps between themselves. They were cornering her… at least that's what they were trying to do…

Just as the vet threw down the net, Demeter ran to the side, slipping between the legs of a stunned secretary. She'd fallen on her bum, which Demeter didn't plan for, but it was another distraction, for the other people were helping her up as the front door was opened by a customer, unaware of the chaos taking place inside.

Finally, Demeter could escape. She ran through the door and through the parking lot, disappearing into the surrounding woods.

The veterinary hospital staff were all standing now. The secretary was brushing herself off, and the technician turned to the vet, "She had someplace to go, don't you think?"

"I'll say." The vet in the white coat scratched his head. Never in his life had he seen such a determined animal. Wherever she was going, he hoped the ambitious cat reached her destination.

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_A/N: There was a vet clinic in this chapter, so I feel I'd be failing as a Companion Animal Science major if I didn't point out that you should spay/neuter your pets! Too many of them are winding up in shelters, don't get adopted, and end up euthanized! There are also health benefits to spaying/neutering. I have two cats and a dog and they are "altered" and remarkably healthy. Still unsure? Do your research! Only 2% of cats in shelters and 15-20% of dogs actually get adopted. Spaying and neutering will lead to less animals in shelters, and less animals euthanized! Sorry, but I had to get that out. Thanks for reading!_


	13. Chapter 13

Munkustrap was again pacing the border of the Jellicle Junkyard. Two more weeks had passed and there was still not a single sign of Demeter. Rumors spread through the tribe of cats like an incurable virus. It was terrible, but how was he to stop them? People had a right to wonder and speculate where their tribe-mate had gone. It was peculiar at the very least; Demeter had arrived after a long absence, only to disappear just as soon? It was very puzzling, and no one could solve the riddle.

None of the search parties that were sent out could find any trace of the golden-ebony queen. Most were tired of worrying about it, and some were even starting to forget. Demeter had gone missing, and that was all there was to it.

Munkustrap had decided to call for a meeting that night, to put everyone at ease as much as possible.

After he cleared his throat to gain their attention, the chattering of voices stopped and all was quiet. He stood atop the grand tire and addressed the gathering of felines, speaking with an authoritative tone, laced with sadness.

"Though no evidence has turned up regarding our friend and tribe-mate Demeter, we cannot continue to search for her. The toms are exhausted, and there is the possibility that Demeter left on her own, even though it doesn't seem likely. We have to accept that she has left us again, and we must hope to Heaviside that she is satisfied wherever she is. I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability if you've got any. I do apologize for all the stress that has been put on the tribe as a result of this matter."

Just as paws were raising into the air to ask questions, a wave of gasps drifted through the crowd as cats parted, allowing a lane to divide the group in half. A cat was walking towards the tire, its head low, its shoulders sagging, its general appearance worn and dismal. It wasn't until the bleak eyes themselves connected with Munkustrap's that he realized it was Demeter. He was alarmed suddenly, never had her eyes seemed so dull and empty. Where had she been? What had happened to her to cause such a shift in the queen he knew he loved?

Demeter looked around wearily at the faces encompassing her, searching for a specific one, and when she found that face, she approached it, putting her arms around the body it belonged to, and letting herself melt into their embrace.

Jennyanydots did not know what to think as her daughter hugged her, as if she was a form of life support. She was overjoyed at having her home again, but deeply concerned as to her current condition. Something had happened out there while she was on her own, that was obvious. Jenny only hoped that it hadn't scarred her permanently, and that they'd be able to get past it like they'd had to get past the loss of Macavity. She feared it was too much too soon…

Jenny's thoughts were interrupted, for now she was supporting all of Demeter's weight in her arms, and nearly let the both of them fall to the ground. Thankfully, Tugger came forward and took the fragile queen into Jenny's den. Munkustrap followed, leaving Alonzo to calm and disperse the crowd.

The atmosphere was disorienting. There was confusion on everyone's faces. Nobody knew what to do.

Munkustrap felt it would be more appropriate to wait outside the den. Jenny emerged, her head shaking from left to right repeatedly, finding it tough to find words.

"I just don't know what happened. She completely fainted in my arms." Jenny shrugged, covering her mouth with a paw, tightly closing her eyes. Munkustrap moved to put his paws on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"It's alright, her body probably needs rest. We have no idea what she was up to out there, but I'm sure she'll tell us when she's feeling up to it."

"I don't know, Munkus. She knows how to take care of herself on the streets, I don't know why she'd… _look_ like that." Jennyanydots was incredulous, unable to compose answers out of the events which had taken place.

"It's okay, Jenny. She's got you, she's got me, she's got this whole tribe of cats who are going to want to help her, no matter what's happened. And let's not forget Bombalurina, I'm surprised she hasn't barged in here yet."

Jenny didn't laugh, as Munkustrap had hoped she'd do. Her eyes were focused on the ground, a troubling expression plastering against her usually friendly face.

"What is it, Jen?" Munkustrap lowered his face to meet the Gumbie Cat's eyes.

She returned Munkustrap's gaze and spoke. "She whispered something into my ear before she passed out, but I don't know what she meant by it."

Munkustrap was intrigued. "Well, what did she say?"

"She said… _I'm sorry_."


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Sorry it took so long with this update, I wanted to get it straightened out from the older version I had before going forward, which took longer than I thought. But here we are, a brand new chapter! I'm hoping you won't mind all the dialogue and conversation, I'm again hoping it's not too dry. Enjoy!_

* * *

The light protruding through the curtains of her room in Jenny's den offended her eyes even though she kept them shut. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to face the felines in the tribe or the many questions they would undoubtedly ask. It was for these reasons that she'd spent the entire week in her mother's den. She didn't talk much, nor did she speak of what happened while she was out of Jellicle territory. She didn't want to let anyone in, didn't want to let anyone help her. Demeter's mate was dead, the Warehouse was destroyed, and her daughter was gone forever. What was the point?

She sat up in bed, opening her red-rimmed eyes. Slipping a paw beneath her pillow, she retrieved her collar. She'd forgotten to put it on the morning she left the Junkyard. What a stupid mistake. If she'd remembered to put it on, she might not have wound up in a veterinary clinic, but it didn't matter, that was over now.

From inside her collar, she removed the strap of studded leather and held it tightly in her paws. It was a grim reminder of the life she once had, of what would never be again, and yet somehow it comforted her.

The door to her room creaked as Jenny began to open it, and Demeter shoved the smaller collar under the covers, out of her adopted mother's sight. She clasped her own collar around her neck rapidly.

"Morning, darling." Jenny sat on the edge of the bed beside Demeter. Demeter didn't respond to her mother's cautious yet cheerful greeting. She simply stared forward.

"Dear, I know a lot has happened to you, and I know I keep saying the same thing over and over, but it's only because I don't know what else to say! A whole week's gone by since you came home again, but no one knows where you've been, or what has you so troubled! Please let me help, please talk to me." Jenny's voice was desperate, just like it had been the day before, and the day before that.

"I'll be fine." Demeter spoke hoarsely. "Promise."

"Ah, Demi! Why do you keep lying? You're not going to be fine! Not unless you talk to someone! I love you so much, _so incredibly much_, and it hurts me to not be able to help you. I don't like to see you this way. Everlasting Cat, it's been a week and you haven't eaten a single thing!" Jenny was frustrated. Why her daughter kept insisting on shutting her out was a mystery.

"I'm sorry."

Jenny huffed agitatedly. Her voice rose in volume. "That's exactly what you said to me when you fainted in my arms a week ago! I don't know what you meant by it then and I'm certainly no closer to knowing what you mean by it now! Why don't you tell me?"

"I will, please stop yelling, I don't mean to hurt you."

"I'm trying to be patient, Demeter. I am, believe me." Jenny took Demeter into a hug, one that was not returned. She decided it would be best to leave things as they were before she caused her daughter to become completely comatose.

Demeter didn't steer her eyes from their forward stare until after the door had been closed. When Jenny's paw-steps had faded away as her distance from the room grew, Demeter pulled out the tiny collar again, holding it to her face and lying down, letting the tears roll from the corners of her eyes to the pillow beneath her head.

Jennyanydots walked into the living room area of her den where Munkustrap and Bombalurina were waiting patiently.

"Did she talk?" Munkustrap asked hopefully.

Jenny simply shook her head. "I can't get her to tell me anything. We almost argued again, and I know that's not what she needs, I know it'll only make her shut herself in twice as much but I can't help but be upset! My own daughter won't speak to me!"

Bombalurina moved towards the distraught queen and put her arms around her shoulders, looking over to Munkustrap being at a loss for something comforting to say, for she felt just as upset as the Gumbie Cat.

Munkustrap sighed. "It's going to take time. I know that I keep saying it, but it's the truth. Whatever happened out there must be so traumatic that Demeter herself is having trouble coping. How can she ask for help, or let herself be helped, when she doesn't know yet how to open up about the things that have happened?"

"It's easy," Bombalurina countered, "all she has to do is let us help her, but she won't do that. What if we've lost her for good this time?" Bombalurina's question caused Jenny to shudder, and Bombalurina instantly regretted her words, squeezing her paws with a tad more pressure on Jenny's shoulders as an apology of sorts.

"Don't jump to such conclusions, Bomba. You need to have faith and be strong, or else we really will have lost her." The room was quiet as his words sank in. "I'm going to patrol the grounds. If there's anything you need Jenny, just let me know." Jenny nodded in gratitude as the silver tabby exited the den.

"Jenny, why don't you sit down and I'll go heat us some cream, okay? Munkustrap's right, we'll get through this, and so will Demi."

"Thank you, dear." Jenny forced herself to smile, trying with all her might to make herself believe that it wasn't too late, that Demeter would come around, and that everything might just be okay after all.

Munkustrap paced the border of the Junkyard worriedly. He knew he loved Demeter, but he didn't know how to tell her. He wanted to comfort her the way that would be acceptable between mates, but without being mates, Demeter might misunderstand his actions.

_What if it's too soon to tell her how I feel? She's going through so much, things she won't even tell anybody about. She knows she has people who love her and want to help, and yet she won't. I wish I knew what it was… could telling her about my feelings coax her into talking? Or would it frighten her instead, causing her to hide within herself even more? What to do… _

_I just wish I could ease her suffering. I hate seeing her so detached like this and so hopeless. Maybe if I tell her, she'll open up to me, maybe she'll return my affections… but if she doesn't, well… I don't even want to think about that… I know I won't stop thinking about what will happen unless I actually go through with it. So that's it then, I'll confront Demeter about the love I have for her and I'll pray to the Everlasting Cat that she doesn't push me away… _

Demeter held the blankets to her face, hiding underneath them from the entire world. She wished there was a way to rewind time, to have another chance to salvage what had been lost. She knew though that there was no point to hope for impossible things. Time couldn't be changed, and neither could the events that brought her such misery.

She thought about the tumultuous conversations she'd had with her mother, and anyone else for that matter who tried to talk to her. She felt guilty for treating them so coldly, especially when they cared so much.

She needed to move on eventually, but she didn't know how to take that first step towards recovering from her nightmarish reality. She'd lost her daughter, her mate, her home… and for the first time she was letting herself feel the effects of such deep loss. She didn't want to let it happen until she knew what became of Jemima. Demeter had found no sign of her, so she thought her to be dead. The pain surrounded her heart with such force; like a vice it squeezed to a suffocating level.

She didn't know if it would ever stop, the only thing left to live for was her mother, and Bombalurina. Now that Macavity and Jemima were gone, they were the two people who mattered most in her life. If she could focus on them, on how much she meant to them and how much they meant to her, then maybe she could survive this hellish existence. If she did that, then maybe she'd be able to pick up the pieces of her dilapidated life and turn it into something more.

Jennyanydots was sitting with Bombalurina. The ruby-furred feline sipped quietly from the mug in her paws, keeping Jenny's company. Jenny sat like a statue, the steaming cup of cream never leaving its container, never reaching Jenny's mouth. It just sat there, like Jenny.

There was a creaking noise that shattered the silence, causing Jenny and Bomba to turn in its direction. From the darkened sliver of the doorway, a tired face peered out. Demeter opened the door completely, and stepped out of her room. She turned her back to the two who watched intently as she closed the door. Jenny tried not to make noise, tried not to let the slight mew escape her throat as she noticed how thin Demeter had become. Bombalurina sensed this, and put a reassuring paw on Jenny's knee.

Demeter turned towards the two felines, leaning against the door, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She then walked to the couch, sat down next to her mother, and hugged her tightly. Jenny was stunned at first, but soon hugged her daughter in return with one paw, as the other still held the cup of cream. She nestled her chin between Demeter's neck and shoulder and smiled gratefully. Bombalurina let a small tear slide down her face, her emotions getting the best of her. She too was grateful. She feared her best friend would be lost in the depths of her own tortured mind, and yet here she was, holding onto her mother and attempting to reach out all on her own.

This was a start, and both Jenny and Bombalurina thanked Heaviside for it.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, I need to know, are you tired of chapters like this? Did I put you to sleep? I tried re-writing this chapter from the old one I had, but I wasn't able to spruce it up as much as I would have hoped. Hopefully it wasn't too difficult to get through. Thanks for reading! _


	15. Chapter 15

The sun had recently vanished below the horizon and the moon was taking her position in the sky, graceful as always, like a figure of royalty taking his or her place on their throne. As the stars were beginning to appear, Munkustrap gathered the tribe of Jellicles for an announcement.

Everyone looked at the silver feline who held his paws up to silence the chattering crowd. Demeter sat between Jennyanydots and Bombalurina, feeling safe with the ability to become almost invisible between them. Everyone in the tribe was still plenty curious to know where Demeter had gone, but just like her mother and her best friend, they all knew it would take time. They all took Munkustrap's advice and gave her as much space as she needed. Demeter was relieved.

Munkustrap swept his eyes over the sea of faces, and when he was satisfied with the absence of voices, he began to speak. "Thank you everyone, the reason why I've called you all here is because there seems to be an issue with our supply of mice. It has come to my attention that there is the possibility of a thief living among us. If it is any of you, I would expect nothing less than an honest confession. If it is not any of you, then we must do what we can to catch this perpetrator so that everyone can still have their fair share of the food we keep.

"Now, I do have an idea of how to go about this, so if Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer would be so kind as to come to the front, I will explain my thoughts."

The two tiger-striped cats emerged and they looked up at Munkustrap with curious expressions.

"Thank you. I know very well, as do we all, of your history as burglars and I figure with your extensive knowledge on the subject, you might be able to help us catch whoever it is stealing mice from our supply. Would you be willing?"

"Yes, of course." Mungojerrie bowed slightly. Rumpleteazer spoke after him with a wide grin, "We'd be happy too."

"No funny business you two." Munkustrap warned jokingly.

"You know us so well." Mungo winked, a mischievous smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Alright, then with the help of the impeccably skilled Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, I'm sure it will be in no time before we have this situation resolved. I thank you all for coming, if there are any questions, feel free to approach me at any time."

Munkustrap leapt down from the tire as the crowd dissipated, walking over to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. "I trust you two will behave accordingly?" Munkustrap raised his brow and with a paw on each of their shoulders, looked from one pair of scheming eyes to the other.

Mungo smiled broadly. "We will behave the same as we always have."

"See that's what worries me."

"Ah, don't worry, Munkster. I'll keep him in check!" Rumple playfully punched Munkustrap in the arm.

"I know you two will have us that thief in no time. Be careful, and if there's anything you need from me, let me know." Munkustrap patted them both on the back. Mungojerrie had thought of a witty retort, but Munkustrap was already heading off in Demeter's direction before he could respond.

The sky was completely dark and night had now fully set in. The moon was bright and the stars twinkled merrily. There was a warm breeze pushing against Demeter's whiskers and tugging on the tufts of her golden fur. She noticed Munkustrap heading towards her and turned to Jenny as she was beginning to walk toward the den, "I'll see you in a few minutes, alright mom?"

"Sure, dear. Is everything okay?" Jennyanydots turned to her daughter slightly surprised.

"I think so, I won't be long."

"Okay, honey. I'll have some cream waiting for you when you come in." Jenny smiled warmly.

"Thanks." They shared a brief hug. Just as Jenny was leaving, Munkustrap approached and stood in front of Demeter, looking rather sheepish.

"Mind if we talk?"

Demeter was nervous instantly, but she wasn't going to deny Munkustrap, there was no reason to. "What about?"

"Well… just something that's been on my mind."

Bombalurina could tell by the tone in his voice that the conversation he intended to share with Demeter was personal and private. She bid both the silver tom and the golden-ebony queen a good night and sauntered over to the den she shared with Tugger.

"What's been on your mind?" Demeter questioned quietly after Bombalurina had retreated and they were alone.

"A lot to be honest, but there's one thing in particular that I know can't wait another day."

"This sounds serious. Should I be worried?" Demeter smiled faintly, trying her best to joke.

"No, no! Don't be worried. If anyone should be worried, it's me." Munkustrap spoke softly, somewhat to himself. Demeter gave him a questioning look, so he gingerly took her by the arm and sat upon the TSE1 with her by his side.

Munkustrap's mouth opened as he was about to start, but Demeter interrupted. "Munkus, before you say anything, I just wanted to apologize for the way I've been behaving. I also wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what? And it's okay, you don't have to apologize, I understand things haven't exactly been 'smooth sailing' for you."

"You've done a lot for me, despite our differences. So thank you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Munkustrap was enchanted by its soothing sound, even though he was sure Demeter's intentions were not to charm him.

"You're welcome." Munkustrap smiled, getting lost in the green pools of Demeter's eyes. She looked into his own eyes, blue like the sky in spring. After a moment, she snapped out of her stupor, trying to recompose herself. Had she just been mesmerized by his eyes? That hadn't happened since Macavity…

"Uh… Munkustrap, there was something you wanted to talk to me about, wasn't there?"

It took Munkustrap a moment to respond, for he had yet to pull himself from his own daze. "Oh, right! Well, I wanted to talk about us."

Demeter lost her breath incredulously as she repeated in question, her voice an octave higher than before, "Us?"

Munkustrap didn't like the expression on her face, but continued anyway, he had to know if she would return his love, or else he'd never stop thinking about it.

"Yes, you see… I know when you left we weren't on the best of terms, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to put it all behind us, where it should be. While you've been gone, I've learned about these feelings I have… feelings I have for you." Munkustrap spoke cautiously, studying Demeter's face for any sign that he should stop, but the expression on her face was blank. Was she even listening? He continued anyway.

"Demeter, I love you." He waited for her to reply, to jump for joy, to run away hissing, he waited for any sign of anything, but she just stood there, not even looking at him anymore. She looked at the ground now.

"Dem, did you hear me?" he put a paw on her shoulder, and at his touch she looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes and one of them spilled over and raced down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Munkus. I'm not ready to love another tom yet. You have to understand. I want to be friends with you, but I just can't handle anything beyond that right now."

"I understand, Demeter, that's entirely okay. I just want you to know that this is how I feel. I want you to know that I'm here for you if ever you're ready for someone else to reside in your heart. I would never want to replace Macavity. I might not have liked him as much as you, but I know he was special to you, and I respect that."

"Munk, I still love him. I know I still haven't spoken about what's happened, but I'll always love him." Her voice wavered.

Munkustrap put a paw on her face and used his thumb to wipe a tear. "I know, and that's why I'll wait for you. I'll wait for your heart to get stronger, to heal, I'll wait for you because that's how much I care. Right now I'm your friend, I'm someone you can trust, but maybe someday you'll let me be more than that."

Demeter sniffled. Munkustrap kissed her forehead and left her standing in the moonlight. As Munkustrap walked towards the gates of the Junkyard, Demeter touched her face where his paw had been and closed her eyes, setting free the remaining tears.

* * *

_A/N: The next chapter I'm hoping will be good, I've got to tweak it as I do all these pre-written chapters, but Jemima will be in it, and so will Demeter…_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Thought I'd let you guys know that with the way this is mapped out from the older version I have and am working with, there's about 25 chapters total. Hopefully by the time we get to 25, you're still enjoying it!_

_Oh, and forgive me as I try to give Rumple and Mungo accents… _

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Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the notorious couple of cats, hid quietly behind the tower of crates. The stash of mice was in their line of sight, but to whoever approached the supply, the team of two would remain thoroughly hidden.

Mungojerrie used a corner of one of the crates to rest his elbow on, the palm of his paw supporting his head as he dozed off. As he began to snore, Rumpleteazer looked to her left with a disgruntled face, shoving him with a paw. "Oy! No sleepin' on tha job, bustah! We got ta keep watch on tha moice!"

Mungo jolted as he was torn from slumber and gave Rumpleteazer an offended look, but he knew she was right. They were supposed to be watching out for the mouse thief.

"Sorry, love." He mumbled, cranky.

They returned their gazes to the mice. Rumpleteazer's ears instantly perked up, and her head shot upwards with surprise. "Oy! Mungo!" she whispered to him loudly, "Look! Tha thief!"

Mungo nodded and flashed a smile at his partner. Without a sound, he pointed to her and used his finger to depict her moving in one direction, and then pointed to himself moving in the other. They would meet on either side of the trespasser. It was a plan to ambush. Rumpleteazer quietly rubbed her paws together and smiled with excitement. She held up one finger, then two, then three and the pair turned from each other and crept away in different directions.

Jemima was about to snatch up a couple of mice like she'd been doing for the past few weeks, but her paws were suddenly being restrained. She looked to her side and noticed the oddly joyful face of a cat with orange stripes. She then looked to her other side and noticed a strangely similar cat with an identical expression. She tugged to get free of them but the way they held onto her arms caused escaping to be impossible.

"Hey, let go of me! I'm stronger than I look!" Jemima threatened them, pulling her arms relentlessly.

"Sorry, love, but we've got ta take ya ta tha troibe. You're the one wot's been stealin' the moice!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I won't steal them from now on, just let me go!"

"Boy, she's a foisty one, ain't she?" Rumple said, tightening her grip on the petite feline.

"Tough for a young one!" Mungo added.

They dragged her to the center of the Junkyard, the queen kicking and resisting the entire way.

Munkustrap ran up to meet them. He looked the young cat over twice. There was something familiar about her but he didn't think about it for long. "So is this our thief?"

"Sure is! And she's awful strong!" Rumple answered.

The queen in question spoke up, "Get your paws off me! I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Don't botha love, we caught ya red-pawed!" Mungo assured proudly.

A gathering of Jellicles formed, hearing the commotion from around the yard and from inside their dens. Demeter came outside, and stopped just outside the door, frozen where she stood. In an instant, she knew. She recognized this young feline.

Munkustrap stood in front of the queen, putting his muscular arms behind him, taking in a deep breath before speaking in a friendly yet serious manner. "You know miss, I could allow these two fine cats here to let you go, but you mustn't run. You have to take responsibility for your actions. Besides, even if you do try to run, as you can see, there are plenty of cats here who will stop you before you even make it to the gates. Understand?"

The queen nodded her head, gritting her teeth in frustration. As her arms were freed, she snatched them away, shooting daggers from her eyes at the two who had captured her.

"I'd like to thank you Rumple, and you Mungo, for this fine work." Munkustrap nodded his head. Mungo saluted Munkustrap and Rumple gave a slight curtsy.

"Now, you might not be aware of this… my apologies, your name is?"

"It's Sophie." The tortoiseshell kit answered aggressively.

"Okay, well, you might not be aware of this Sophie, but you are on Jellicle territory, and on Jellicle territory it is against the rules of felinity to steal food from others."

Munkustrap began to pace back in forth in front of the kit, who stood with her arms folded in front of her chest defiantly. "Luckily for you, our leader is arriving tomorrow, so you won't have to wait that long before your punishment is decided. For now you'll be taken care of by Jellylorum until such time arises. Keep in mind that the better you behave, the better you'll be treated. We won't harm you, we're not that kind of tribe." Munkustrap looked to Alonzo, nodding his head and signaling him to take the queen away to Jellylorum.

While his face was turned, the kit bolted from the center of the Junkyard and escaped the many paws that reached out to grab her. She'd gotten halfway to the gates before tripping over a cardboard box. She looked up to see a pair of stunned green eyes looking down upon her. How odd, she thought…

Within a second of tripping, there were paws all over her, helping her to her feet and guiding her back to the center of the yard. Alonzo took her by the paw to Jelly's den. The bi-colored tom and the kitten disappeared inside.

Demeter stood, mouth agape, barely able to breathe. After a few moments, she brought a paw to her mouth, covering it. She returned inside the den and rushed to her room where she battled her raging thoughts.

_She's not dead, my daughter's not dead! Jemima's here… she'll be put on trial for stealing mice. My daughter stole mice! My innocent little girl… this is the kind of life she's been living, one of crime, one on the streets with no one to watch over her… Everlasting Cat… this is all my fault! Why couldn't I have found her! If I had found her then maybe she wouldn't have turned out this way, so angry, so troubled, so lonely… I saw those eyes, those beautiful brown eyes, so hateful. How do I tell her who I am? She'll hate me for not finding her… what if she's sentenced to be banished? Then I'll just go after her… but what if she doesn't believe me? What if when I tell her, she wants nothing to do with me? Heaviside help me… _

Jemima sat in Jellylorum's den in a room. The door was guarded by two 'Jellicles' and there was no other way out. They'd been nice enough to make sure she was comfortable, with plenty of food, water, and blankets for the night, but it didn't change Jemima's goal, which was to escape at the first opportunity. Who knows what her 'punishment' would be, she certainly didn't want to find out, but for now, all she could do was wait.

As she sat on the bed, she closed her eyes, but all she could see was the pair of green eyes that had looked down upon her earlier when she tried to run, those haunting pair of eyes… something about them stirred eerie, irksome feelings within her, but she forced herself to stop thinking about them. It wasn't often Jemima found herself in such cozy conditions, so she took advantage and let herself sleep.

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_A/N: Okay, I probably will never use accents on Mungo and Rumple again, that was terrible, but I did it once, and that's good enough for me. All I wanted to do was experiment anyway. That'll probably be the last chapter of the night, but I'll try to put a few more up tomorrow. Thanks for reading! _


	17. Chapter 17

Jemima, or Sophie as she was called, sat on a crate beside the grand tire, awaiting the arrival of Old Deuteronomy, as was everyone else who was gathered in the center of the Junkyard. There were so many pairs of eyes staring up at her, judging her; she hated them all. A particular pair of eyes, the same ones from the night before, were staring at her intently, but every time Jemima looked at them, they would frantically dart off in another direction. It puzzled Jemima.

Demeter wrung out her paws nervously. Beside her was Bombalurina, Jenny nowhere in sight, probably preparing a feast of some kind for Heaviside knows what reason.

"Dem, you okay?" the concerned voice of her best friend made Demeter give a slight mew involuntarily. She looked a mess, like she hadn't gotten any sleep… something was definitely bothering her. "What's wrong?" Bombalurina questioned.

"Uh… well… I don't know how to say this, but… that kit up there… that's Jemima." Demeter whispered sadly.

"Sophie? The mouse thief?" the red queen's eyes bulged. She was astonished to learn such news. "Demeter, are you sure?"

"I've never been more certain about anything in my whole life, Bomba. That's my daughter."

Before Bombalurina could respond further, Old Deuteronomy appeared from behind the tire, Munkustrap aiding him to stand atop it. Voices flowed through the crowd in admiration. Old Deuteronomy was an honored leader at the very least, he was a father figure, a voice of reason in times of doubt, and the one person who seemed to know what to say during all events.

"Hello all. It's a pleasure to see you again. I have lots to discuss with you – particularly a new Strasburg pie recipe - but first we must deal with the matter at paw, the matter of a Ms. Sophie, is that correct?" Old Deuteronomy looked to the kitten who sat beside the tire, she gave one curt nod, without a single glance in his direction, and then he continued with a humble smile on his aging features, "It seems you have been stealing mice, my dear. I'm sure Munkustrap, our second-in-command, has informed you that it is against the rules to steal from others?"

"He has." Jemima answered bitterly.

"Then you also know that a punishment is to be carried out. Fret not, dear one, our punishments are not severe, we're not a vicious or heartless tribe of felines, and this I'm sure you'll find comforting."

"Whatever." She muttered disinterestedly.

"Wait!" Demeter didn't know what had come over her, but before she could control herself, she'd shouted out and had caught the attention of every feline in the yard. She visibly shrank in size, immediately bashful at having made the outburst.

"Demeter, what are you doing?" Bomba whispered stunned.

Old Deuteronomy called to her from the tire, craning his neck to see as she was near the rear of the gathering, "Demeter? My, it's good to see you home again! Is there something you wanted to say, dear?"

"Yes, no! I mean, yes there is." She replied indecisively. Jemima stared at her, completely baffled. Was this queen insane? Was she mentally ill?

"Alright, go on then." Old Deuteronomy encouraged her to speak, noticing for some odd reason that she was having trouble finding the words.

"Well, I know punishment is traditionally the course of action we take in situations like these, but instead of banishing her, why don't we keep her here? Why don't we teach her how to find food for herself? She's just a young thing, and she told us all before you arrived that she has no family. Maybe she needs guidance, not punishment. Perhaps it's just a bit of love she needs instead." Demeter was borderline begging for the kit's release, and though Old Deuteronomy didn't completely understand why, he nevertheless found sense in what she was saying.

"You have a point, Demeter. I was not aware this girl had no family. Perhaps, Sophie, if you'd prefer it, you can let us be your family for a time, long enough for you to learn how to handle things on your own, learn to socialize, learn to be loved. And, after a few weeks, if you've made an improvement, you may go free, about your business as before, or you may become a part of our Jellicle tribe. How does that sound, dear one?"

Jemima did not expect this. They wanted to love her? Were they all delusional? She wasn't a sap like they all obviously were, she wasn't weak, she didn't let emotions tear down her tough exterior, one of which she worked so long and hard on to build. It was a wonder to Jemima that this tribe was still in existence if all they believed in was peace and love, instead of firm discipline and strict regulations.

"Sounds like a pile of Pollicle dung is what it sounds like." Jemima finally responded, her youthful voice full of uncharacteristic hostility and indignation.

Though just about everyone in the tribe gasped at her distasteful remark, Old Deuteronomy pressed his lips together disappointedly. "Ah, my dear. It seems Demeter was indeed right about you. There is a lot you have to learn. You shall stay here with us and learn not to be so furious. There's more to life than hatred, and it's about time you learned that."

Old Deuteronomy now addressed the rest of the group members. "I expect all of us to treat Sophie like a true tribe member. We have to show her our ways and teach her about love and all its splendors. It appears to me that she's lead a life with no one to guide her, and so it will be our job to show her that not everyone is an enemy. Please see past her current persona as I do, for I know inside there is a charming and polite kit just itching to be free."

Jemima's eyes widened at his last statement. It reminded her of the thoughts she had the night she'd gone against the two brown and white marbled siblings. Maybe this was her chance…

Demeter sighed in relief. There was a comforting paw on her back. Demeter looked to its owner and took Bombalurina in a friendly embrace. Jemima would stay in the tribe, and though it had the potential to only be for a temporary period of time, Demeter was grateful to have any time at all. Maybe before the weeks Old Deuteronomy had given were out, she could confront Jemima. She only hoped disaster would not strike in the wake of things, that it had had its fill of shredding her life to pieces. She prayed to the Everlasting Cat.

Jemima was now being lead back to Jellylorum's den, no doubt to receive some kind of lecture. She looked to the queen who had uninvitedly spoke on her behalf. Why had she done that? Her name was apparently Demeter, and as she hugged the taller feline beside her, Jemima couldn't help but wonder why in the world she had done so. She was offended more than she was touched by Demeter's actions. It angered her to have someone feel the need to protect her. Jemima could take care of herself. She could handle things very well on her own. Then again, another part of Jemima was beyond grateful for the stand the golden-ebony queen had made, she was grateful to be given the chance to make something of herself, but never in her nine lives would she outwardly show her appreciation. It was against everything Jemima had become... for now.

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_A/N: Uninvitedly isn't actually a word (used in the last portion of text), but I used it anyway… it seemed to fit… _


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: I'm hoping my descriptions in the first two sections aren't too confusing… I tried to clarify as much as possible… sorry if it still doesn't help! _

_Most of this chapter contains conversation shared between Demeter and Munkustrap. Happy reading! _

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Demeter watched as the brown finches seemed to play leap frog on the tips of fence posts a few stretches of pavement away. The sun illuminated the golden coloring of her fur to new levels, warming her contently-expressed face. Leaning against the gates of the Junkyard is where Demeter found peace and quiet, almost as much as she could find sitting on the colossal tire or inside the shelter of the wide pipe. Here she could be a part of both worlds. On the threshold of her home, and the edge of everything that lie beyond. In one ear she could faintly hear the kittens playing, the elders scolding mildly, other cats chattering, and in the other ear she could hear the sounds of the birds, the cars passing by, the soles of shoes trekking the ground… in almost two places at once, she was able to find tranquility.

Munkustrap joined Demeter silently. She knew he'd arrived at the opposite side of the entrance, but she remained staring out from the Junkyard. The two of them could have served as gargoyles, sitting a distance from each other, looking like guardians of the junkyard, perfect decorations, a pair of bookends in use only with invisible books.

"So, how are you?" Munkustrap spoke casually, in a friendly manner. He too looked out at the streets of human civilization, following Demeter's line of vision and noticing the merrily chirping birds. "Are you hungry? I could catch one if you're not feeling up to it."

"I'm not hungry, but thank you Munkus. You're very thoughtful." Demeter sighed. To Munkustrap, she didn't seem unhappy, she just seemed calm.

"How's Jenny? Still trying to fatten you up?"

Demeter smiled, even gave a slight laugh. "Of course she is, the amount of food in that den at the end of the day is just ridiculous. It's enough to feed an army of cockroaches."

Munkustrap laughed, too. "I believe it."

A comfortable silence fell between them, and after a few moments, Demeter looked down at her feet and then at Munkustrap, who returned her visual contact. "You know, Munkus, I've been thinking about what you told me the other night."

"And?" he tried his best not to sound overly intrigued, but he was anxious and couldn't help himself. Maybe she was about to tell him that she loved him in return.

"Well, maybe there's room in my heart for you after all. You've been such a good friend to me, even after we'd hit some rough spots before I left. I just don't think I could stand not to have you with me now that I realize how sweet and caring you are, how sweet and caring you've always seemed to be."

"Wow, Dem… you're serious right now?"

Demeter suddenly looked nervous. "Yes… unless you've changed your mind since the other night-"

"No! Heaviside, no! Demeter I still love you! I think a part of me always has… and to hear you say you feel the same… well, it's just too good to be true."

"Would you like to walk me home?" Munkustrap noticed Demeter's appearance, it was somehow different. She seemed to be more beautiful, even though he could have sworn no such thing was possible.

"You're heading in for the night? It's early still." Munkustrap took slow steps closer to Demeter, they were almost touching by the time the gap between them had diminished.

"I have no other plans, Bomba's with Tugger. They're having a night on the town." Demeter spoke breathlessly as Munkustrap put his paw against her face. She pressed into it, enjoying the serenity it sent coursing through her veins. She suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation of being safe near him, of being protected.

"Maybe we should try that someday." Munkustrap was speaking with his face downward, moving his lips closer to Demeter's, almost speaking directly into them.

"I'd like that." The golden-ebony queen whispered, and before she could speak another word, her lips were crashing against Munkustrap's.

When they parted, Demeter felt numb, as if every ounce of coherence that was left in her body dissolved while they'd kissed. She looked forward, straight into the chest of the silver tabby who had his arms wrapped around her body. Her mind and heart swirled with emotion and though she hadn't realized it, she was breathing irregularly.

"You okay?" Munkustrap tried to lower his head to look in her eyes, but she closed them, preventing him from doing so.

Her voice trembled as she answered him finally, "I'm sorry, the last time I kissed someone was with Macavity, before he and I… before…"

Munkustrap held her to him as she cried quietly, unable to hold herself together any longer. "Munkus, I want to be with you, but it's not fair for you to have to put up with me like this, I've got too many problems right now, more than you would ever want to know about."

"Don't talk like that, Demeter. I told you already I'd wait for you, as long as it takes."

"Oh, Munkus." She sighed, holding him tighter. He was so good to her, she wanted more than anything to love him completely, but something was holding her back, and she didn't want to admit it, but she had a good idea as to what it was.

"If you like, Dem, I could still walk you home." He gingerly petted the top of her head with his fingertips, getting them slightly tangled in her fur.

"Sure, Munkus. Thank you, if only you knew how grateful I really was."

"What's that mean?" he looked confused at her statement.

"You're patient, because of how much you love me, and I'm sorry I can't fully reciprocate that yet, but I will, I promise." She bowed her head shamefully.

Munkustrap lifted her chin with his finger, looking into the chartreuse orbs of her eyes, and speaking with the most sincerity Demeter had ever heard. "Just know that I'll be here for you whenever you're ready, just like I'm here for you now. I vow from this moment on to be there as your protector, as your friend, maybe one day as your mate, but I'll be there for you, Demeter. I love you too much not to be."

Demeter smiled, then hugged Munkustrap again. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"I could say the same thing about you." Munkustrap gently pulled her away from himself, smiled down at her, and kissed her on the nose. Satisfied with the smile which now resided on her face, they headed to Jenny's den, together.

"Munkustrap, look!" Alonzo shouted from the tire, across the Junkyard. His paw was stretched forward, pointing to something in the distance, and from the amount of alarm in Alonzo's voice, Munkustrap had a feeling it wasn't something good.

It was then that Munkustrap's features became etched with panic, and when Demeter followed with her own eyes the direction of Alonzo's paw, her expression mirrored the one on Munkustrap's face. Coming towards the Junkyard, was a pack of Pollicles, all of them drooling and chomping their mouths in anticipation for what Munkustrap could only fear would be a battle.


	19. Chapter 19

Munkustrap forbid himself from feeling fear and quickly erased the expression from his face. Now, he looked ready, he looked in charge, he looked like a cat with a plan. It wouldn't have been possible for any other cat, to undergo such a rapid change in emotion, but because Munkustrap could was part of the reason why he made such a fantastic leader. He was able to reign in his fear and transform it into something useful.

Munkustrap darted from Demeter's side, rushing to give orders to the nervous felines around him. The golden-ebony feline was frozen with what she instantly realized: these were Rufus's men.

"King Rufus", Demeter thought with a fright. Of course these were King Rufus's men, the same ones who had attacked her in the impound lot! Were they coming for her after all this time had passed? Or worse, were they coming for Jemima?

The mangy mongrels snarled as they marched closer. The Pollicle King was nowhere to be found, only his loyal fighter mutts were coming towards the Junkyard. Demeter did not know what to make of this, if they were coming for a battle, surely King Rufus would join in on the ensuing fray.

There was no time left for thinking, the Pollicles were just a few feet away. They stopped and stood in a line stretching the entire length of the Junkyard. The fighter mutt in charge stepped forward, and Munkustrap did the same. They met in the middle to speak.

Demeter sank backwards into the Jellicles who gathered in a neat formation behind Munkustrap. Demeter was swallowed up by them, disappearing entirely. She knew she must not let them see her, they would know for sure that she was Macavity's mate, and that the child they shared would surely be nearby. She needed to protect Jemima.

"You're not welcome here." Munkustrap stated.

"I know that, that's why I brought my friends along." The dog gave a vile chortle.

"Why do you come here?" Munkustrap did not acknowledge the dog's remark, not wanting to add fuel to their fire. They were anxious for a fight, Munkustrap knew this, he could see it in their eyes, in the way their paws tensed on the ground underneath, the speed at which the drool fell in long strands from their mouths.

"We come in seek of a feline, one of which our leader, King Rufus," all the dogs bowed their heads and lowered their front halves towards the ground at the mention of Rufus, "believes to be here, in this pitiful Junkyard."

"You'll not take a single one of us from this ground, I'll see to that if it kills me." Munkustrap spoke bravely.

"We will though, we'll take Jemima, and then if you're lucky, we'll only take a few more of your kind after that. We have to have our fun somehow you know, it's not often we come into these parts."

"You must have come to the wrong tribe, there is no cat here by the name of Jemima. Leave now or face a battle."

"You can't hide her forever, Jelly-cat. We know this is where she is, and we won't leave until we've got her."

"This is your last chance. Leave now, or face the consequences." Munkustrap's eyebrows raised in emphasis of his threat.

The Pollicles growled, a vibrating noise that rose from their throats. Munkustrap hissed and crouched, prepared to defend his home and everyone in it. The cats behind him mirrored his stance, they knew that when Munkustrap and the lead mutt clashed, so would those behind the dog with those behind Munkustrap. They were ready.

Demeter heard her daughter's name emanate from the lips of that horrid beast. She looked left and noticed Jemima standing beside Jellylorum, the elderly cat whispering in low tones to the focused queen how it is Jellicles go about fighting in battles, including when it is not time to fight at all. Sophie was mesmerized, being exposed to ideals and values she never knew before. In the minutes she had to learn what was expected of her, she decided that she would do her very best at being a solid warrior. Besides, it wasn't like Jemima had never fought before, life on the streets had taught her that just fine, but now Jellylorum was telling her the reasons to fight, and not to fight, and it blew Sophie's mind away.

Demeter took in a wavering breath, incredibly frightened for the sake of her daughter. If she was going to fight with the Jellicles, the Pollicles would undoubtedly recognize her at some point during the commotion that would soon take place. She didn't have time to come up with a plan, Munkustrap and the Pollicle were lunging at each other, and only seconds had elapsed before the rest of the two clans were rushing forward to collide with one another.

Demeter followed suit, unleashing her feline fury - claws, teeth, and all - while still trying to keep an eye out for Jemima. From what Demeter could see, the young queen was handling herself impressively. Already she had taken on two Pollicles triple her size!

Demeter couldn't help but wonder how she had developed such skills, she wondered how long it took for those skills to develop, how many beatings she had to have taken before she was strong enough to take care of herself. Her heart was heavy as she let her thoughts wander, a dangerous thing to do in the middle of a fight. She was caught off guard as a massive paw swept across her face. Demeter only grew livid at this, the stinging on her cheek lighting a fire within her. She lashed out with such force that the Pollicle was sent scampering away.

Demeter turned from the diminishing image of her opponent in time to see Jemima being overwhelmed. In a flash Demeter was by her daughter's side, throwing the Pollicles from the young queen in a burst of power she didn't know she had. Demeter uncovered Jemima from the vicious monsters, and helped her to her feet. The two felines stared at each other for only a moment, before Demeter stepped in front of Jemima to defend her from a foe she hadn't noticed was approaching from behind. She quickly handled the fighter mutt, sending him fleeing off as the one before, but when Demeter turned around again, Jemima was busy taking care of another Pollicle. They fought in close proximity to each other, almost touching spines, their tails intertwining a bit because of the lack of space.

"Fighter mutts, retreat!" The leader was heard shouting over the roaring sounds of the battle, sounds that began to dwindle in volume. "We'll be back Jelly-cats, just you wait! You'll be sorry you didn't hand her over when you had the chance once you see what we've got in store for you, and all your kind alike!"

With that, the Pollicles vanished in the night. For now, it was over.

Munkustrap began checking over the Jellicles for wounds or injuries. There were none severe enough to draw any real worry or concern. Eventually he found his way through the crowd and came to Demeter, looking over her with extra attention. When his brief examination concluded, he visibly relaxed.

"You alright?" he questioned.

"Yes, fine, are you?" Demeter looked over the silver tabby before her, wincing once she noticed a bite wound on his right ear.

"Nothing too troubling, I promise."

"Your ear's been bitten. Let me clean it." Demeter was pulling Munkustrap's head down gingerly when Jemima spoke up from behind them. She looked disgusted, her paws on her hips, her expression one of disbelief and bewilderment.

"Are you kidding me? Why would you do that?" Jemima's questions were directed at Demeter, and the golden-ebony queen spun around in surprise at the outburst. When she couldn't find words, Jemima simply continued.

"Why did you leap to my defense when those Pollicles were on top of me? I could have taken them myself if you hadn't barged in. You ruined my chance to prove myself!" her words were bitter and they sliced through Demeter as though she were butter. Demeter's mouth had gone dry but she knew she was expected to respond.

"I didn't realize, Je… Sophie. I thought you were in trouble." Demeter's voice was soft, catching herself at what would have been a fatal slip of the tongue.

"I wasn't! Why do you keep coming to the rescue whenever you think I need it? Can't you just mind your own business? I don't need anyone to watch out for me, I've never had that my entire life, so I don't need it from you now. Stay away from me."

"I'm sorry." Demeter's voice was steady as she stood before Jemima. Demeter felt defeated on the inside, but she didn't want to let it show, not in front of everyone who had now gathered around them. Only a single tear was able to pierce through the focused composure she was desperately trying to hold onto.

Jemima left, huffing agitatedly. Demeter mirrored Jemima's exit, only in a different direction, and with less angst. The closer she came to Jenny's den, the quicker her pace became as she felt the sobs force themselves from her chest, the tears pouring out like a sudden rainstorm, the emotions inside her overwhelming her to the point of fainting on the spot.

She clamped a paw over her mouth to try and stifle the sounds of her despair, but only so much could be done. It wasn't long before Munkustrap entered the den, incredibly concerned for Demeter. He was the only one who allowed his eyes to follow her retreating form long enough to see her begin to break down before disappearing behind the door of the den.

"Demeter, what's wrong? There's no need to be so hysterical! Sophie is a troubled young queen, you know this."

Demeter was standing in the middle of the room with her back towards Munkustrap. Suddenly she turned around and raced into his arms, strong arms that coiled around her and nearly instantly calmed her soul. Only a few more tears slid onto Munkustrap's fur before she was able to let him go. She sat on the couch, Munkustrap following her, still deeply worried.

He sat down and pulled her into his side, tracing soothing circles on her back with his paw, shushing the small cries and sniffles until both of which had stopped and all was silent. Demeter's head was rested against the silver-black clad chest of the tabby next to her.

"Talk to me, Dem. Tell me what's going on. Why are you so upset?"

Without replying, Demeter reached into her collar and retrieved a small leather strap, putting it into Munkustrap's lap. The fabric was worn and seemed old in its texture and smell. He picked it up and looked at it closely, puzzled by its significance. "What is this, Demeter?"

"It's a collar."

"I see that, but I don't understand." Munkustrap spoke gently.

"It's… my daughter's collar." Demeter kept her head rested against Munkustrap's chest, not wanting to look at his face once speaking the truth.

"Dem, I didn't even know you had a daughter. Where is she?" Munkustrap's voice was slightly excited at hearing the news. He couldn't help it.

"You've met her. Her name's Jemima."

"I don't know any Jemima's."

"Well, that's because she has a different name." Demeter pushed herself away from the comfort of Munkustrap's chest, looking into his eyes and forcing herself to go on, "She calls herself Sophie."

At this, Munkustrap's eyes bulged. He looked away from Demeter, down to the floor, letting the truth sink in. He put his paws on his head and took in a deep breath. "How, Demi? I don't think I understand it still. How could Sophie be your daughter and be so misguided. If you were to mother a kitten I'd picture that kitten to be the vision of a perfect child."

"Maybe I ought to start from the beginning." She looked for encouragement from Munkustrap, but all he could do was look at her. He was eager to know more. "Macavity and I had a daughter together. She was everything we dreamed of. Everything was so wonderful. So much of our lives, mine and Macavity's, was spent on preparing for this child, for its future, for its happiness. She truly was everything to us… which is why, when the Pollicles came, we put our own lives at risk to ensure Jemima's safety."

Munkustrap was listening intently to the story Demeter was telling.

"Macavity started that business he'd always wanted, you know, the one you scoffed at him for," Munkustrap offered an apologetic look, and Demeter patted his paw to let him know it was alright, "and it didn't take long for the Pollicles to have interest in what my mate had started. They made impossible demands, and just when Macavity didn't think it could get any worse, they demanded something we just couldn't allow."

"What was it?"

"Jemima." Demeter closed her eyes.

Munkustrap took Demeter's paw and held it, from this Demeter drew the strength she needed to continue. Opening her eyes, she went on, "We obviously weren't going to let King Rufus take her. He only wanted her because he had the insane notion that he would raise her himself and use her to defeat other felines, crazy I know, but it got to the point where he stormed the Warehouse. Macavity and I did what we could to protect her."

From the corners of Demeter's eyes, tears began to fall soundlessly. "Macavity and I separated, agreeing to fight our way outside, then meet in the woods when we could. He told me to leave without him if the sun went down before he could meet Jemima and I. Needless to say, I was preparing to leave with Jemima when a Pollicle turned up. Macavity… didn't make it." Demeter closed her eyes again, this time allowing her head to bow, hiding herself and the pain that was painfully evident on her face.

"I am so sorry, Demeter. I am so terribly sorry you had to go through this." Munkustrap put his paw against Demeter's face, feeling the moisture beneath his paw because of the tears so rapidly sliding down to her chin. She leaned in to his paw, and he pulled her toward him to hug her tighter than he ever had before.

"Jemima was so little, she hardly knew what was going on. I knew I had to face this Pollicle or he would take my baby. I told her to run. I told her to run, Munkus, and she did. I didn't know if she would get far enough, or know where to go, but I was ready to die if I had to to keep her from harm. I didn't do a good enough job obviously, because the Pollicle knocked me out, and when I came to, I had no idea where Jemima was, I had no idea if the Pollicle had gone after her. All I could do was go back to the Warehouse and see if Macavity had made it after all, to see if Jemima was anywhere inside, I figured maybe she'd run back home. But there was nothing inside that place but death, nothing but the torn pieces of the life Macavity and I had built together."

"Is that when I found you upstairs?"

Demeter nodded, burying her face in Munkustrap's fur, sobbing all over again. It was difficult to relive it, to remember everything enough to tell the story, and yet at the same time it was relieving to finally let the truth be told.

"You never found Jemima?"

"No! I tried to find her! That's where I went when I left the Junkyard right after coming home. I tried to find her, but I ended up with nothing. I had a run-in with those nasty Pollicles, and some stubborn humans, so I was delayed in returning, but I never found her, and then she shows up as the mouse thief!"

"Oh, Demeter. I wish you'd told me sooner. I hate knowing you've carried this around with you all this time. Does anyone else know?"

"Bombalurina knows, but not in so much detail as you do. I didn't cry like this when I told her." Demeter laughed at herself, finding her behavior foolish.

"I take it Jemima has no idea who she really is?"

"No, she doesn't. I don't know what she's had to go through on her own, but it breaks my heart to see her like this. She's a chaotic mess. She doesn't know what it feels like to be loved, to have a family, to treat others with kindness, and I can't help but blame myself."

Munkustrap pushed Demeter away from himself and placed both paws on the sides of her face, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. He was stern when he spoke, "No, Demeter, it is not your fault. You did everything you could. The only reason why Jemima's even alive is because of you. Do you hear me? Don't you dare blame yourself. Please."

Munkustrap loosened his grasp, and Demeter looked down at herself, swallowing timidly.

"I'm sorry Demeter, but I don't want you blaming yourself for something that truly isn't your fault. I don't like to see you this way, you've been torturing yourself with this for long enough. I honestly don't even know how you were able to keep it a secret all this time."

"Well it hasn't been easy."

"I can't imagine it would be." Munkustrap continued to hold onto the queen he loved, pulling her onto his lap in one swift motion, he gently rocked back and forth, soothing her into a peaceful sleep. He wanted her to rest after the trauma she'd endured, and he wanted her to know he was there for her.

Munkustrap thought about everything she'd told him. He realized that the reason Jemima looked familiar to him when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer brought her into the yard was because part of the young queen reminded him of Demeter. They looked alike. Sure, there was some of Macavity in her that Munkustrap could now see, but the resemblance he now saw of Demeter in Jemima made him wonder how he hadn't noticed it before.

The silver tabby held his arms firmly in place, keeping the chances of Demeter falling to the floor at a mile's distance. She continued to sleep, burrowing further into his body, he knew she must be reveling in the comfort he provided, at least that's what he hoped. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to be the one she fell on, the one who would pick her up in times of doubt. He was grateful she allowed him to get this close at all.

At least now he understood the reasons why becoming mates had been such a difficult hurdle to overcome. She'd seen such tragedy, and her heart was torn open and the wound there would prove a timely one in regards to healing. It didn't matter though, he would wait. He would always wait for Demeter.

On the other side of the Junkyard, Jemima stared with unseeing eyes at the supper in front of her. All she could see was Demeter's face, so shattered and distraught. She'd made her cry, even though it was a single tear, after watching it slide down the older queen's face, she realized that a lot more emotion must have been hidden within. Jemima couldn't make sense of that complicated feline.

_First she defends me from punishment, then she defends me in battle, and then, to top it all off, when I confront her about it, she does nothing but says she's sorry? I totally don't get it. How could I have made her cry? I thought I was going to try and be a better cat… I thought my days of causing innocent people pain were behind me… _

_I didn't mean to make her cry… but I did say some pretty harsh things… I bet I hurt her feelings, but is she so sensitive to cry over it? Her words were so soft-spoken, like she didn't even know how to argue against me. I don't get it. I just don't get it. _

That night, Sophie dreams. It is a dream filled with flashes of faces, flashes of memories, flashes of emotions, but all the faces, memories, and emotions, are none she remembers having. They aren't her own.

There is the face of a red-colored feline, a male with yellow eyes. It isn't frightening though, this face she sees resembles one a father might have, a face of someone who would be proud of you, who would be happy if they saw you… it confused Sophie.

Then there was another face, and this face Sophie recognized. It was Demeter's face. Only instead of expressing sorrow, Demeter seemed happy. She smiled brilliantly, and it almost made Sophie want to smile. Demeter even might have laughed a little, and it was a contagious bit of laughter at that.

The face of Demeter morphed into a violent one, a face with pearly fangs and eyes so hungry they could eat you on their own. Sophie was suddenly very uncomfortable and wanted to wake up. This dream was turning into a nightmare. Suddenly all of the faces are gone, and glimpses of a memory take its place.

The memory is cloudy, there is a lot of noise, but there is not a lot to see. It's dark, and something presses against Sophie's face, some soft and yielding thing, perhaps the fur of another cat. But why? Sophie doesn't understand what's happening, she knows she's scared, she knows she's being taken somewhere, she knows that there are bad things going on all around her, but her face remains buried in the dark.

It isn't long that the memory shifts, and now it is all too bright. The sun is setting, but compared to the darkness, it is as if a light bulb is shining right in front of her. A voice urges her to follow some kind of command, and she obeys.

Sophie feels things she does not remember feeling, she feels joyous, she feels frightened, she feels loved… and all at once. The faces, the memories, the emotions all surround her and though she is running in her dream, she cannot escape them.

Abruptly she is shaken awake and the curious, concerned face of Jellylorum soon forms in her blurry line of vision.

"Are you alright, sweetie? I think you might have been having a bad dream."

Sophie does not speak, she only tries to slow her heavy breathing. Jellylorum sits down beside her on the bed. "It's alright dear, just try and relax. That's it, now why don't you lie back down and rest. I'll bring some cream into you, that should help you feel better."

Sophie was alone in the room, alone to think about what had just happened, what she had just dreamed. How could it make any sense? Why was she dreaming things that didn't make any sense to her?

And then it hit her, it hit her like a speeding train hits a parked car on the tracks. Sophie realized that the dreams of the memories, of the faces, of the emotions, that they all did in fact belong to her, not to someone else. What this meant, she still could not understand it, but she knew she had to, she knew she would, she felt it deep inside. These were her own memories, her own emotions, and flashes of the faces of people from her past.

How long ago was the past? What were the memories of? She didn't know, but she would figure it out. Sophie would figure it out.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm going to try putting up a chapter (or more) a day to get this story finished! Wish me luck!_

_Here's a heads up for this chapter: It's ALL Munk and Dem._

* * *

Demeter awakened and through hazy eyes, found herself curled up in the arms of Munkustrap. He was sleeping, and she figured he must have been sleeping well, for he was snoring softly. He seemed content, so Demeter chose not to disturb him. She felt rather embarrassed with the way she behaved in front of him last night, but she knew that he wouldn't judge her for it. She knew that all he wanted was to be close to her, and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all…

There was a blanket over the two of them, one that Demeter recognized from her own room. "Jenny", she thought fondly. She must have seen them last night on the couch and was kind and thoughtful enough to keep them warm. Jennyanydots was still clueless as to what was troubling Demeter. As of now, the only two felines in the entire Junkyard who knew about her traumatic past was the silver tabby beside her, and her best friend.

As she waited for Munkustrap to stir, she allowed her thoughts to wander, and it was no surprise that her thoughts wandered to the subject of her relationship with Munkustrap.

She thought about how much he cared for her. She thought about how tender he'd been with her, how patient, how understanding, and how honest he was from the moment he found her in the Warehouse. He supported her, was there when she needed him, and Demeter didn't want to imagine how much rougher the road would be or would have been if he wasn't there to help her along.

Demeter rested her head against Munkustrap's chest and looked up at him with admiration. Here was this magnificent tom, a tom who loved her so much that he would be willing to wait as long as she needed, a tom who gave her the space she requested, who provided the perfect amount of comfort that she didn't even know she thirsted for. Had she been so blind that she hadn't realized before how incredible he was? Well, now Demeter's eyes were opened wide, and she wasn't about to let Munkustrap slip through her paws. She was foolish at times, but she wasn't going to be foolish about this.

Just then, Munkustrap began to wake up. He squirmed a bit, yawned, opened his gorgeous eyes, gave a grand stretch, and looked down at the face peering up at him.

"Well, good morning." He smiled genuinely.

"Morning." She returned the expression, just as genuine. She noticed how disheveled his head-fur had become and laughed to herself. He didn't notice.

"How long have you been awake? I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. You could have nudged me at any time you know, I wouldn't have minded."

Demeter gave a questioning look, doubting his last statement. "Okay, I might have minded a little bit, but I would have gotten over it. Can you blame me? That was the most comfortable sleep I've had in ages."

"You were snoring." Demeter giggled.

"I was not!" Munkustrap pretended to be insulted, putting a paw on his chest as if he were hurt.

"You were! I swear it!" Demeter playfully punched him in the chin. Munkustrap laughed, and the contagion spread instantly for Demeter laughed too. She wedged herself out of Munkustrap's lap and stood to stretch her stiff limbs, yawning as she did so. Munkustrap stood beside her, and the two cats turned to face each other.

The atmosphere around the two of them now became more intimate.

"Munkustrap, I wanted to thank you for last night. I'm sorry I was so distraught." Her head was turned downward, slightly shameful of her actions from the night before.

"You don't have to apologize for that, Demeter. That's just silly! I was grateful to be the one you vented to, I was happy I was able to be there. You know I love you."

"Yes, I know." Demeter then looked up into his stunning blue eyes, getting lost only for a moment in the sea beyond the orbs. "And, that's why I've decided that if you'll still have me, I'd like to agree to be your mate."

"Honest, Dem?" Munkustrap was overjoyed. Demeter nodded her reply, and he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her so tightly that she thought she'd explode from the pressure.

"What made you change your mind?" Munkustrap asked, still amazed by her abrupt change of heart.

"I just did some thinking, and I realized that there's no one out there who can do it better, who can love me like you do and care for me so deeply. Macavity was one thing, nobody could be a mate quite like he could, but then there's you, in a league of your own. You're a truly terrific tom, Munkus, and if I were to love anyone as much as I loved Macavity, it would be you." Demeter laid it all out for Munkustrap to see, her reasoning, her emotions, the truth within her heart. As she spoke to him, their heads moved closer to each other, and her voice grew lower until it was just above a whisper.

"Everlasting Cat, Demi. I have no words." Munkustrap responded, looking at her lips which were now almost touching his own.

"That's okay, we don't need them." Demeter sealed the gap between them and they shared an affectionate kiss. It was a kiss that reminded her of the way two might kiss after not seeing each other for many months or even years. It was like their two souls were finally united, and it was a beautiful thing.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was supposed to happen all along, if fate had written their paths and it was only now their roads were intertwining in blissful syncopation. "Better late than never," Demeter thought inwardly as she continued to kiss Munkustrap, "definitely better late than never."

* * *

_A/N: I know, that was a short one. I'm hoping it didn't seem too rushed. I tried not to rush it, but I'll leave it to you, my faithful reviewers, to clue me in! Thanks! _


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: I figured I might as well stop posting chapters every now and then because after I edit and post them, things get in the way and it takes too long for me to remember to post another. Enough is enough. So here's a few chapters all at once that have been edited and revamped. Hopefully you'll find them enjoyable! There will be more to come within the day (there will be, honest, I've written it on the bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker so I don't forget or let anything else get in the way). _

_Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, and to those who left reviews for the previous chapter/s!_

_~ Oh and, EmilyDoreen especially, thanks so much for the review, and I will definitely take you up on the offering of British slang advice! Even if I don't need it for characters, I'd be happy to know some new terms anyway! Besides, you're British, and I love British accents (accents of all kinds really). Does this make me creepy? Probably, but I'm ranting now, and delaying you from reading the story if you're reading this at all, so I'll stop now. Nevertheless, enjoy the story, and thanks again for the review! ~_

_Also, I've read the chapters so far from start to finish that have been posted and I'd like to apologize for my handful of grammatical errors. There's also an error regarding the color of Jemima's eyes, at one point they're said to be green, and at another they're said to be brown. I must have gotten confused at some point while changing up the old version, but just know that they were intended to be green like Demeter's._

* * *

Sophie sat beside the stove, alone as usual. She'd groomed herself twice over, she'd learned the entire layout of the Junkyard, she'd tested herself four times on the names of the Jellicles in the tribe, she'd walked around so much that her paws were aching, and it hadn't even reached noon yet. Her mind wandered with nothing else to do, and she began to think about Demeter and the dream she'd had.

The faces she saw, the emotions she felt, the bizarre inability to escape… it was unnerving. She'd tried not to think about it, but now with nothing else to do she couldn't keep her mind pent up behind the mental fences she'd assembled.

She didn't see how any of it connected. First, there was Demeter, her expression one of happiness and elation, then there was a tom with red fur and soothing yellow eyes who she didn't recognize at all, the distorted face of a monster, and the contradictory feelings that simultaneously filled her heart – joy, fear, love – it lead to no gain, brought her no closer to understanding the dream's meaning.

Sophie was beyond confused, and all the thinking suddenly made her sleepy. The Junkyard was decently quiet, and the weather was just right for an outdoor mid-day catnap, so the young queen curled herself into a ball and drifted off to sleep.

Inside Munkustrap's den, Demeter and the silver tabby were sleeping peacefully. Sure, it was mid-day now, but it didn't matter. Munkustrap had gone out earlier in the morning without Demeter's knowing to put Alonzo in charge for the day.

Demeter needed him, she was finally letting him into her heart and he wasn't going to let the splendor of how the events had turned be spoiled. When he had returned to his den, he slid back under the covers and drifted back to sleep beside his lovely mate.

It was a couple of hours after Munkustrap had returned, that Demeter was beginning to cross the border from a state of sleep to a state of consciousness. She was beginning to realize that the bed beneath her was different somehow from the one in her room, that the air had a strangely pleasant smell to it, and that there was a source of warmth from beside her that wasn't usually there. Finally she opened her eyes, and realized that instead of waking up in her room, she'd woken up in Munkustrap's den.

As she began to pry herself out of Munkustrap's arms, his eyes opened as well. "Hello there, sleepy cat." He greeted.

"Good morning." Demeter yawned and sat up.

"Dear, I'm afraid that greeting is void considering the time of day. You've slept well through morning." Munkustrap smiled.

"I have?" Demeter was suddenly alarmed. "Oh, Munkus. You should have woken me. I've kept you from your morning duties? This is terrible. I'm so sorry!"

Munkustrap held up his paw to silence the worry quickly rushing over his newly-agreed-to-be mate. "Relax Demeter, relax. There aren't any duties for me today. I'm all yours."

"What? How can that be?"

"I spoke with Alonzo earlier, he's taking over for the day. I've got you all to myself Demeter, at last. I'm not going to let this feel like any other day, this is too special an occasion. You're too special."

"That's very sweet." Demeter kissed Munkustrap chastely, but the contented look on her face didn't last long.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Jemima. I don't know what to do about her."

"How about we discuss it over something to eat? I stopped by Jenny's to let her know where you'd been all night, and she wouldn't let me leave without taking food. There's quite a lot of it in the kitchen."

"I'm amazed you were able to carry it all. If I know my mother, you probably dragged some behind you with your tail."

Munkustrap laughed. "Almost, but I managed."

The two headed for the kitchen and rummaged through the freshly cooked/baked items for something delicious, grabbing plates and tableware as they went along.

Munkustrap had twice as much food as Demeter, and began inhaling every crumb. Demeter noticed, giggling, "I guess it's a good thing I cook like my mother does, at least I know you'll never starve."

With a mouth full of food, Munkustrap replied, "Now I may have to reconsider us being mates. If you cook like this, I'll be too fat to be second in command in no time."

Demeter laughed, taking a few bites of food from her own plate. She didn't eat much, which did not go unnoticed by Munkustrap. He watched as she began to play with the food before her, pushing it around, until finally she propped her chin up with her palm, resting her elbow on the table, retiring the eating utensil to its position beside the plate, and staring blankly out the window.

"Dem, how about you eat a little more?"

"Hmm? Oh, I would, but I'm not hungry now. Besides, my mind's on other things. Would you like to finish it?" she tilted the plate so he could see what was left.

"No, thank you."

Demeter returned to her absent-minded task of staring into the distance.

"Dem?"

"What is it?" Demeter didn't turn to face him.

"What's wrong?"

Demeter took in a deep breath, now facing Munkustrap with an uneasy look. "What do you think?"

"Demeter, I know I said we'd discuss Jemima over food, but you were supposed to actually eat something. Look at your plate, it's just about full still."

"How can I eat? I'm too worried about what to do."

"Do you have a course of action yet? A strategy?"

"No, that's just it, I have no idea what to do…"

"Well, I know." he said with ease. Munkustrap had finished eating, his mouth full of the last bite he'd taken.

"Clue me in?"

Munkustrap nodded, swallowing. "You have to talk to her." He reached for his glass and took a swig, swishing the liquid around in his mouth before swallowing and returning the glass to the table.

"You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world to do." Demeter scoffed slightly, letting her eyes wander to the side.

"It is, if you let it be."

"How Munkustrap? How do I approach her? She's my daughter but doesn't know it, had a father who's now dead, doesn't know who she is or how to trust anybody… don't you think this complicates things?"

"What I think it does is show only how much she needs you in her life. All you have to do is take the chance to fill the gap that separates you and her from a life of living together as mother and daughter."

"She could reject me. She could run out of here and I'll never see her again."

"True, but just think of how much better it'll be if you do nothing at all."

"It won't."

"That's exactly my point, Demi. That's exactly my point."

Munkustrap stood from the table, and took his dishes to the sink. Demeter rested her elbows on the table and placed her paws on her face, hiding behind them as if they could hide her from the world. She knew what she had to do, she just had to be able to do it somehow, before it was too late, before Jemima was gone forever.

A pair of paws landed on her shoulders, squeezing and rubbing in all the right ways. She removed her face from her paws and looked up to see Munkustrap, who smiled genuinely and kissed her on the cheek, leaning into her ear to whisper, "You can do this, honey. Don't let her slip away."

"Munkus?"

"Mm?" he continued to massage the knots from her muscles.

"Thank you." Demeter rose from her chair and wrapped her paws around Munkustrap's neck.

"For what, dear?" Munkustrap rested his silver paws comfortably on Demeter's waist.

"For being you." She lovingly kissed him on the lips.


	22. Chapter 22

Demeter slowly left Munkustrap's den, turning around to see the silver tom standing in the doorway.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?"

"Yes, I just feel that I have to do this alone. Wish me luck?"

"All the luck in the world." Munkus left the door frame to kiss Demeter, he kissed her passionately, trying to instill in her all the courage that could possibly be mustered from kissing the person you love.

Munkustrap pulled away only when he felt Demeter was ready, and put his strong paws on her shoulders. The golden-ebony feline took in one final breath, long and deep, before closing her eyes and turning away from her mate. She wandered around for a bit until she found Jemima, sleeping, beside the stove. She looked so small and so helpless - curled up in the tiniest ball - lonely and isolated.

Her plan was to sit nearby until Jemima had woken up, but she stubbed her hind paw on the corner of a crate, and cursed it for being there a little too loudly. She stumbled a bit until the pain subsided, trying to stay quiet, but it was no use, Jemima's head had sprung up in surprise from the moment Demeter's foot smashed into the unyielding plastic box.

Demeter stopped stumbling around when she finally noticed that Jemima had been awake.

"I woke you, didn't I? I apologize."

"It's fine. What do you want?" Jemima was groggy, understandably.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you, if that's alright." Demeter's voice was soft, nervousness causing her voice to waver. It was painfully obvious how unsure she was about the situation.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

The older queen shrugged, not able to come up with anything to say other than the truth. In her mind, the tortoiseshell queen thought: "Why wouldn't it be alright? Gee, I don't know, you're only about to find out that I'm your mother, that your father is dead, that we've been apart all this time, and you'll blame me for not being there for you, you'll think I'm a terrible feline, and you'll run out of here faster than I can blink my eyes, that's why it's not alright."

Demeter blew a forceful breath of air from her lungs, looking down at the ground and then up at Jemima, whose eyes were wide in anticipation for what Demeter had come to say.

Jemima was growing impatient, but she'd felt bad for making Demeter cry the other day, she didn't want to do any more damage. She was truly trying to be a better individual.

Demeter cleared her throat, rather awkwardly. "Well, Sophie… there's something I have to tell you…"

"And what would that be?" the younger queen sat up, showing interest in the news Demeter was to deliver.

After a rather long moment of hesitation, Demeter blurted, "I noticed you don't have a collar." Demeter's remaining courage fleeted off into the distance like rabbits in a meadow, or prairie dogs on a stretch of dusty land, disappearing in an instant.

"I've never had one."

"Well don't you think you should have one? Not everyone in the tribe does, but some of us do. It helps to keep the animal catchers from snatching us up while we're out on the streets."

"That's a smart idea, but, I don't have a collar to wear. I can be careful though, I've always been fine on my own."

"Oh, I know that. I just thought you might like to have one, but… I wanted to ask you first. See… I have some spare straps at home that I've outgrown, and you're welcome to them. That's what I came to ask you about."

"I don't know, I'm not used to people offering me things, but to be honest... I would really appreciate it if you'd lend me one." Jemima admitted bashfully. Her face was pointed toward the ground, but her eyes timidly rose to meet Demeter's.

Demeter smiled. "Of course, Sophie. I'll stop by tomorrow with a few for you to try?"

"That sounds good."

Demeter nodded, and headed off towards Munkustrap's den.

"Hey, Demeter." Jemima called.

The gold and black colored queen turned around.

"If that's all you wanted to ask me, why were you so nervous? You were nervous, weren't you?"

Demeter rapidly thought of a decent cover-up, only showing minimal signs of being caught off-guard by the question. "Uh, no, not nervous. I've been feeling under the weather lately is all. Sorry, Sophie. I didn't mean to confuse you."

Jemima nodded, and Demeter continued walking towards the den. She shook her head and hung it in shame.

_How could I do that? I'm an adult, more of an adult than she is, yet I acted like a kitten who'd been punished for something. I shouldn't have acted that way, I am her mother, even though she doesn't know it yet. I should have been in control. I need to get my head in the right place before I attempt that again, which I will do… tomorrow, when I bring her the collars… yes, that'd be perfect! _

_At least she isn't totally shutting me out, but I must be careful. Just because I've got a paw in the door doesn't mean she won't slam it shut on me. _

Jemima sat and wondered what it was Demeter had truly come to tell her, for she had a feeling that the collar offering was just a decoy, that there was something more Demeter had to say, but for whatever reason, chose not to at the last moment.

The Next Morning:

"Munkustrap, wake up!" the silver tom groaned against being jostled. Demeter gripped his shoulder and jolted it a few more times, whispering into his ear with a small amount of volume in her voice, "Munk, come on! We've got a plan to follow, remember? I need you!"

Still he slept.

Demeter stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips. She huffed once and leaned in again towards his ear. She spoke in a normal voice, no whispering, no shouting, just a simple, "Munkustrap, breakfast".

The tabby opened his eyes in a flash, the blue circles finding their way to the green ones above him.

"Morning, darling. Something smells fantastic."

"I'll tell you what, you get your bum out of bed in ten minutes, and I'll have the entire table set and waiting for you, cheese pie, fried ham, mouse-cake and all."

"Cheese pie? You had time to make cheese pie? And mouse-cake? What time did you get up?" Munkustrap was thoroughly surprised.

"I barely slept, I had a nightmare last night and I've been up ever since. So I kept busy. Your den is spotless, your breakfast is just about ready, and I put some fresh flowers in the living room."

"Heaviside Dem, how aren't you exhausted?"

"I'm too nervous about what today has in store to be tired, now let's go!"

Demeter was heading out of the room when Munkustrap called to her, "Hey, Dem?"

"Yeah, honey." She called in from halfway down the hallway.

"You said you had a nightmare?"

Demeter performed an "about-face" and returned to Munkustrap's bedside. "Yes, and I'd love to tell you all about it if you'll just meet me at the table. Sound good? Okay!" Demeter gave a "thumbs up" before retreating back down the hallway. Her nerves were making her overly energetic. "Poor thing," Munkustrap thought to himself, "trying so hard to distract herself from what she has to do that she's pretending everything's peachy rather than chaotic."

Munkustrap frowned and left his cozy bed. He began to groom himself and put his wacky-looking head-fur back into some sort of order, before joining Demeter, who was bringing dishes into the dining room.

"You're taking a little too much after your mother. There's enough food here to feed the tribe twice over."

"Stop exaggerating and sit down already. We've got to eat fast." Demeter said with ambition.

"Why fast, dear?"

"I still have to stop at Jenny's to grab my old collars before we can carry out this plan. There's only so many hours in a day, you know."

"Yes, I know, but I really do think you need to take a moment to turn the dial back a few notches, you'd be bouncing off the walls if you were made out of rubber."

"So you're a comedian today, huh?" Demeter questioned comically, pointing her fork towards her serious-looking mate.

Changing the subject, Munkustrap asked, "What about that nightmare?"

"Well, Macavity and Jemima were in it. I was going through the horror of that night all over again, only Jemima was older, as old as she is now, and there was a look in her eye that made me snap out of my dream."

"What kind of look?"

"She looked at me as if she knew who I was, but it wasn't a good thing. Her expression… it was sad, yearning, betrayed, and all at the same time."

"Don't think about it, Dem. Everything will be okay."

Demeter put the fork down and stopped eating her breakfast. "How do you know that everything will be okay, Munkus? You keep saying it but how do you actually know?"

"Because I know you Demeter, and I know that you care so incredibly much about your daughter, and I know there isn't anything you wouldn't do for her, and I also know that you want that relationship with her more than anything. You're an amazing person Demeter, I think about that every morning when you wake up by my side, and I thought about it every time I saw you before we were mates. You've got so much to offer Jemima, if she's anything like you, she'll realize what I do, and she will realize how foolish it would be to turn you away."

There was a short silence.

"Dem, you have nothing to fear. She's your daughter, you're her mother, that's all that matters. You're finally going to be able to be her mother again, just like when she was a kitten. She still needs you to be there for her, she needs guidance, she needs love, she needs nurturing. She needs her mother, and that mother needs her daughter."

Demeter was speechless. She'd been so silly to behave the way she had been behaving. She was Jemima's mother, she made a vow the moment Jemima was born to be there for her no matter what, and that's what she was going to do. She stood from the table and walked over to Munkustrap.

She hugged him tightly and Munkustrap pulled Demeter down to sit across his lap. Demeter gazed into his eyes, smiling because of the way they looked at her. "Thank you for reminding me of what matters. You're right Munkus, I have nothing to be afraid of. She's my daughter. So, she's a little different, she's a little rough around the edges, but I can fix that. We can fix that."

"That's right, dear. We can." They shared a kiss before finishing off their breakfasts. Soon it would be time for the plan to be carried out, and Demeter was ready, she'd always been ready, she just needed a little push… a handsome silver push…


	23. Chapter 23

There was a knock at the front door. Jellylorum found Munkustrap waiting in the door frame with a warm smile on his face.

"Hello, Munkustrap, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Sophie, is she inside?"

"Of course, would you care to come in?"

"Sure."

Jellylorum opened the door wider and allowed Munkustrap to enter. Once the front door was closed, she excused herself from the room and trekked halfway up the grand staircase. She called up, "Sophie, Munkustrap is here to see you, sweetheart. Come downstairs, please."

"Would you like something to drink, Munkustrap?" Jelly asked, coming back down the steps.

"No thank you, Jelly. Demeter cooked up quite the breakfast this morning, should I eat another crumb or drink another drop and I think I might actually explode."

Jellylorum laughed, then excused herself once more, heading off to the kitchen. Munkustrap began to look around the den, admiring the décor and arrangement like he had every time he'd had the opportunity to see it. The den was one of the most beautiful in the history of Jellicle residences. Jellylorum had a special knack for making things look marvelous. Munkustrap's den was not a shabby dwelling, but he hoped someday that he and Demeter could live in a den as impressive and charming as this one.

Sophie's soft paws on the steps caused the aged wood to creak. Munkustrap smiled at her in a friendly greeting, standing with his paws behind his back, "Morning, Sophie. How would you like to come for a walk with me?"

"I guess, did I do something wrong?" Sophie's face depicted guilt automatically.

"No no, not at all. I promise."

Sophie visibly relaxed. She was clearly trying very hard to do the right thing and make proper choices.

"I'll meet you outside, Sophie."

The small tortoiseshell queen nodded and walked quietly to the door and exited the den.

"Jellylorum?" Munkustrap called. The white and striped queen appeared from the kitchen.

"I'm going to take Sophie for the day, is that all right with you?"

"Absolutely." Jellylorum waved her paws upward to further signify she had no objection.

"Thanks, Jelly. May I ask how she's doing?" Munkustrap leaned a little closer to the elderly queen.

"She's doing alright, I think. She's still quiet, not very social, and she does keep to herself a little too much, but she's willing to learn and that's key. Her attitude has also toned down remarkably."

"That's wonderful news, I'm glad to hear it."

"She is definitely making progress, but I'll tell you, she does have nightmares, and they seem to be escalating in the amount they bother her. She wakes up most nights well before dawn. I'm worried the poor dear isn't getting enough rest."

"Okay, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Munkustrap nodded sternly. He left Jellylorum's den and found Sophie waiting for him on the front steps. She sat with her knees close to her chest, and traced designs in the sandy dirt beside the concrete with an extended claw.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, but can I ask where we're going?" Sophie stood instantly, looking up to Munkustrap with weary eyes, eyes that looked so much like her mother's.

"I'm taking you to the river." Munkustrap walked down the few steps outside of Jelly's den and Sophie followed suit. The two quickly fell in step with each other. Munkustrap held his paws behind his back again.

"There's a river around here?" Sophie sounded surprised.

"Yes, you're going to meet Demeter there to help catch the day's supply of fish."

"Okay."

"Sophie... I'd like to tell you that you are a young queen with a lot of potential. Just don't give up on any of us too soon."

"Sir, I'm doing my best. It's not easy to adjust."

"That's understandable, just don't stop trying. There's a lot you could learn from us, some of which you can't even imagine." Munkustrap knew the irony in that statement and acknowledged it inside his mind, but kept the notion private from Jemima.

It was quiet between the two of them. Not much time had passed before the river was in sight. "Alright, Sophie, this is where we part. Demeter is waiting for you right down there." Munkustrap pointed with a finger where Demeter would be waiting, and Sophie nodded. There was a slope to climb down in order to reach the river bank and there were tree branches blocking most of the view, but Sophie could see water moving, she could hear it, and if she walked in the direction of Munkustrap's pointing paw, she was sure to bump into Demeter eventually.

As she turned to head down through the thick brush, Munkustrap touched her shoulder to gain her attention. He looked into her eyes and Sophie found looking away to be impossible. The firmness of Munkustrap's voice also completely captured her attention. "Remember, don't give up." He placed a paw gently on the side of her face, grinned reassuringly, then walked behind her to head back towards the Junkyard.

Sophie took a deep breath and cautiously made her way to the edge of the river. She looked around for Demeter, but did not see her right away. The river was not very wide, but it was deep in the middle, and parts of it moved more rapidly than others. The trees, green bushes, and vines served as borders on either side of the body of water, disguising what lay beyond the brush. It was odd, Sophie had spent most of her time on the streets where there weren't many rivers or areas of such dense greenery, but the sound of the water rushing madly, and the birds chirping, the scent of the leaves and tree bark, and the gravel beneath her paws made the place a pleasant one. If she were asked to do the day's fishing on another day, she wouldn't mind having to come here to do it.

She'd forgotten only for a moment about finding Demeter, and resumed her search.

"Over here." Demeter's gentle voice came, and Sophie turned to find her beside the trunk of a tree, its tangled roots exposed from the water in the low tide.

"Munkustrap said we were going to fish."

"We will, but first come over here and sit down with me."

Jemima sat beside Demeter, distancing herself a bit. Demeter picked up a pawful of leather straps that had been on the ground beside her. She brushed them off, and handed them to Jemima. "These are the collars that I mentioned to you yesterday. Take a look and see if there's any you like."

Jemima took the items from Demeter and she looked at each collar briefly. They seemed to be in good condition, the ones with spikes weren't missing any pieces, and the same went for the ones with jewels. Some had more shine than others, while others looked nice with how plain they were. She then looked back at Demeter and grinned in embarrassment. "I've never worn one of these. I don't know the best way to pick one out."

Demeter held her paw out to Jemima and motioned with the same paw to hand the collars back. "Let me see if I can help you."

Sophie noticed that there was something different about Demeter today. She wasn't acting in a weird way, she was confident, she was speaking without the faintest hint of a tremble in her voice, and she was exceedingly calm.

"Come closer, Sophie. I need to see if this will fit."

Jemima scooted closer to Demeter, and the golden-ebony queen swirled her paw to tell the younger cat to turn around.

Jemima obeyed, and felt the smooth texture of a collar clasp around her neck. It smelled familiar, it was an aroma Jemima felt she knew somehow. It was studded with small jewels. This collar felt like something that had been lost, something that was finally being returned to her, but that wasn't possible, it didn't make any sense.

"How does it fit?" Demeter asked.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Jemima touched the collar around her neck with one paw, and tried to force the feeling of familiarity from herself so as not to appear confused.

Demeter shifted in the spot where she sat, her voice now taking on a tone which was careful yet empowered. "Sophie, you said you'd never worn a collar before, but I know you have."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The collar you're wearing now, it was not one that was included in the pile I showed you. I took it from inside my own collar."

"Why?"

"Because when I found it in the woods, that's where I kept it. It's been there ever since I lost my daughter."

"I didn't know you had a daughter."

"That's okay, it's a long story."

"Tell it to me anyway?" Sophie couldn't contain her curiosity. Perhaps this might lead to some clarification about Sophie's dreams, at least that's what she hoped.

"Alright, if you really want me to." Demeter took a deep breath and leaned back a bit, so that her front paws were behind her and keeping the rest of her from laying down entirely. Her heart was thumping madly in her chest, but she paid it no attention.

"A long time ago, I found myself a wonderful mate. His name was Macavity. He and I gave birth to the most precious little kitten, a baby girl named Jemima. We loved that kitten more than anything else in the world. I can't even explain to you how excited we were when she came. Jemima made our lives so full of love, joy, and beauty. Things happened though, there were Pollicles who thought they could take Jemima from us, and so Macavity and I did what we had to do to keep our child safe. A battle took place in our home, and Macavity sent me out with Jemima to wait for him, but he never came. I lost my mate that day, and I thought that I lost my little girl, too."

"What happened?"

"There was a Pollicle who followed Jemima and me outside, and I had to make a decision very fast to give her the best chance of surviving. I did not think about how she would grow up to live on the streets of London, I did not think that we would be separated for so long, and I didn't think that I would have to sacrifice so much of our time together so she could live. But I told Jemima to run deeper into the woods, and Everlasting Cat bless her heart, she ran." Demeter chuckled a bit, to keep the tears from falling.

"I fought off that Pollicle, but he overpowered me in the end, and that's when I thought I'd never see Jemima again."

"Did you… did you ever see her again?" Sophie was sheepish in her forward questions, able to tell that Demeter was struggling with retelling the events from her scarred past.

"Well, I certainly tried. I searched for her relentlessly. But it wasn't until recently that she found me. Do me a favor, Sophie." Demeter waited to achieve eye contact with Sophie, before she continued in a voice that was softer and deep, it was almost inaudible. "Look inside that collar."

Sophie took the collar off and examined the inside of the studded leather. Inscribed into the fabric, it read, "Jemima".

"You're giving me your daughter's collar? Why would you do that?"

Demeter sat up and answered, "Because _you are_ my daughter, Jemima."

The petite queen froze. She even stopped breathing for a few moments as she attempted to process what she had just heard.

"Demeter, I'm sorry, but that can't be right. I'm not your daughter." Jemima frowned.

"Yes, you are. Just think, Jemima. Think back to when you were little. The memories might be buried under the time we've been apart, but they're still there, I know they are." Demeter held up Jemima's face by the chin with her paw. "You do have someone in this world who loves you, who has always loved you, and that's your mother. That's me."

Demeter was crying now, the tears flowing freely down her face. Jemima noticed, and the image sparked a memory in Jemima's mind. The cogs began to chug and turn, and soon it came flooding over her like water over the edge of a cliff. Jemima jerked her head from Demeter's paw suddenly.

"Oh my goodness…" Jemima's eyes were wide, she swayed where she sat, and she looked as though she'd faint.

Demeter placed a paw on her shoulder, "Honey, are you alright?"

"No, no, no. I'm not alright." Jemima sprung from her seated position and began to pace back and forth in a panicked fashion. "I don't know what to think of all this. I remember. I remember… you… carrying me outside… lots of noise… barking… I remember you were hurt and I said you had "boo-boo's"."

"Yes, Jemima, that's right. That happened."

"And then I ran off, because you told me to?" Jemima stopped pacing and stood before Demeter, asking the question while looking Demeter in the eyes. She was trying her best to put the puzzle pieces together, to be sure each piece was accordingly matched with its corresponding unit.

"Yes." Demeter answered.

Jemima sat down beside Demeter once more, her voice lower and less hysterical. "All this time's gone by, all this time I've thought I was by myself, that I had no family, and… I've had you all along."

Demeter gingerly patted Jemima's head fur. "I told you a long time ago I'd always be with you. I'm sorry I missed so much of your youth. If I could've been there I would have been."

"I missed you, mom." And before she knew it, Demeter was being squeezed by the arms of her daughter, her tiny frame almost disappearing beneath Demeter's gold-tinged fur. The feeling of having Jemima hug her, of her daughter, after all these years, hugging her close, totally overwhelmed Demeter. She was so stunned that there was a delay in returning the affection. Snapping out of her astonishment, Demeter took Jemima in an equally powerful hug and smothered the young queen with kisses. Now that she was reunited with her daughter, the weight from her shoulders had been lifted. Jemima hadn't gone running off in disgust, she wasn't mad at Demeter, she was simply grateful to have a mother, and Demeter was thrilled.

"So you looked for me?" Jemima had begun to cry as well. Lines of liquid could be traced on her face as the salty tears left their temporary mark.

Demeter wiped her eyes, looking an equally frightful mess. "Yes, Munkustrap found me at the Warehouse, which is where we lived if you remember, and once he brought me to the Junkyard, I couldn't stop thinking of there being a chance that you were still alive, that the Pollicles hadn't caught you, so I set out to find you. I followed your scent to an impound lot but you weren't there. I had a nasty run in with King Rufus's fighter mutts and had to lay low before coming home, and then I was captured by the animal catchers."

"Didn't you have your collar?"

"No, I'd forgotten to put it on. But I made it home, I was safe, but I was without you."

"You said you went to an impound lot… I remember being taken to an impound lot, one with lots of junk, lots of cars, and lots of Rufus's Pollicles."

"Yes, that's the one my nose lead me to, but I didn't find you there."

"I took a swipe at Rufus when he told me he would raise me, they tossed me in a barrel after that."

Demeter's eyes widened and she gulped. "It was a barrel with a small hole, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

Demeter cupped her mouth with her paw. "That was you… you were in there that night." Demeter put her paw on top of her head, "So I did find you! I just didn't know it."

"It was you!?" Jemima was incredulous, and then realization settled in as the pieces continued to press into place. "You were snooping around the hole before the barrel tipped over! I thought it was a Pollicle coming to scare me so I stayed still and kept quiet. If I only knew it was you."

Demeter took Jemima in for another hug. "It doesn't matter now. I've finally found you and that's what's important." She placed a kiss on top of her head, and the two felines stayed like that for a few moments, before Jemima altered the mood of the atmosphere with an innocent question.

"So, mom, are we going to catch those fish?"

"Well, that depends, do you know how to catch fish from a river?"

"No." Jemima replied honestly.

"That makes two of us." They laughed merrily. "But," Demeter stood up and offered a paw to Jemima, "I'm willing to try if you are."

Jemima looked at the paw in front of her, she smiled at it, then up at her mother, before taking the paw with her own.

Later That Night:

Munkustrap stood in the door frame of his bedroom, watching the two cats sleep peacefully. Jemima was nestled snuggly within the crook of Demeter's arm, and Demeter was huddled close to her daughter's body, resting her head on top of Jemima's. It was a sight that melted Munkustrap's heart. He knew things would be okay. He knew in Demeter and Jemima's hearts, was a gap that desperately needed filling, and he knew that only one could fill the gap for the other. They needed each other and at last the gaps could be filled, wounds could heal, lives could resume, and happiness could have a chance.

* * *

_A/N: I don't actually know if rivers have tides, I tried googling it, but kept getting both "yes" and "no" answers, so for the sake of this story, rivers have tides, but do they really? I have no idea. If you know though, feel free to let me in on the knowledge! _


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: There's a surprise in this chapter you might not have been expecting. I hope it's received well enough to add a little extra something to the story, rather than make it seem wholly unbelievable. Granted, this is fiction based off of a musical in which cats throw parties, gather under the light of a full moon, dance on two limbs, and look remarkably like humans… but… we won't go there… haha!_

_I apologize if the dialogue becomes boring, I know there's been a lot of that lately._

* * *

The tribe was aware of Jemima's situation. Word traveled quickly about such matters and it wasn't long before the story had been told to every cat in the tribe by one feline or another. Everyone was surprised with the amount of progress she made, to the point that when Jemima announced she'd like to stay within Jellicle territory on a permanent basis, there were no objections.

Jellylorum was no longer needed to watch over Jemima, Munkustrap allowed the young queen to live in his den where she and her mother could be together. He liked the feeling of having a family to come home to at the end of the day.

It was just after breakfast and Munkustrap headed out to patrol the grounds with Alonzo, leaving Demeter and Jemima to spend some well needed time together.

"Hey, mom? Can we talk?" Jemima sat on the bed with a minimally disgruntled facial expression, the fur upon her cheeks and atop her head being tugged slightly with every lick of Demeter's pink tongue.

"Sure, honey. Right after… I get this… one last spot." Demeter finished, finally satisfied with her daughter's level of hygiene. "There. I guess now would be a good time to tell you that Jellicles always wash behind their ears and between their toes. Your face is no exception."

"Okay, but can I please tell you something?" Jemima stored the grooming information for a time when she had the time and thought to care. For now, there was a far more pressing matter that needed to be discussed.

"Talk about what?" Demeter questioned, motioning for Jemima to follow as she left the bed and headed towards the dining room.

"Well, there are a few things I'd like to tell you about me that you might not know." Jemima was clearly sheepish about the subject she was about to speak on.

Demeter distractedly began picking up the plates and eating utensils that had been left on the table since breakfast had concluded, Jemima also helping to pick up items. Half of her attention was on clearing the table, while the other half was focused on Jemima. "I'm listening, Jem."

"I've had to learn to take care of myself because of the way I've had to grow up, you know… on the streets and in the alleys. I've done things I'm no longer proud of. The way I think about things has changed since I've been here, and now I don't know how to get them off my mind." The two felines emptied their arms full of dishes into the kitchen sink. Demeter now faced Jemima, her back against the edge of the countertop.

"Think of it like this: don't blame yourself for the mistakes you make, for if you don't make them again in your lifetime, then consider the lesson to be learned, and the mistake only a thing of your past."

Jemima took a moment to ponder the words Demeter had offered. They helped, but not as much as Jemima had hoped, it would do for now though. Her past would always be troubling to her.

Jemima's mother was now headed to the living room, no doubt to tidy whatever needed tidying, which wasn't much considering how spotless Demeter kept the den.

"Mom, there was something else." Jemima watched as her mother fluffed the pillows on the couch.

"What is it?"

"I think it would be better if I _showed_ you…"

Demeter set the pillows down as a serious expression formed upon her face. "Okay…"

Jemima retrieved a ball of yarn from the cabinet, and held it in her paw. "Watch the yarn." Jemima instructed.

Demeter watched as the ball of yarn was being manipulated. The object was hovering above Jemima's open palm. It spun slowly at first, never moving away from the area above Jemima's paw. Gravity had taken a hike apparently, for it rotated continuously in mid-air, Jemima's fingertips twitching and pulsing. The ball of yarn spun faster, as did the speed at which Jemima's fingers moved.

Demeter stared in awe. Her daughter had powers.

The ball of yarn returned to the surface of Jemima's paw, she held it as she studied her mother's reaction. She was not cowering in terror, she was not freaking out over what she had seen, she was not fazed by what Jemima had demonstrated. Jemima was pleased, but it didn't help her understand why she could do the things she could. She pressed onward nevertheless. "That's not all, mom. I can charge things, with electric currents."

"What?" Demeter questioned breathlessly. She seemed more amazed than anything else.

Jemima's eyes rose to land upon the ceiling fan above their heads, it was adorned with three light fixtures. Her eyes squinted at the lights, and they simultaneously grew brighter.

Demeter watched as the room became brighter, as the light bulbs illuminated more and more. There was a humming noise that formed, matching the rate in volume with the rate at which the light increased.

All at once, the glass from the bulbs shattered, and both Demeter and Jemima let out a yelp and shielded their faces with their arms from the falling pieces of glass, no larger than a grain of rice.

Demeter's chest was heaving as she gradually put her arms down and away from her face. "What… was that?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry. I don't have much practice. I didn't mean for them to explode." The young queen confessed.

"It's alright. Let's just get this cleaned up before we cut our paws."

"No, don't get the broom, just stay right where you are." Jemima urged.

Jemima held an open palm to the broom in the corner, and the wooden handle began to rattle. It gracefully glided across the room and began to sweep the glass. As Jemima swayed her paw, the broom copied its motion. Jemima smiled at her mother who couldn't help but laugh a little. "I don't believe it."

"Easy as Strassburg pie." Jemima chimed.

Once the mess was cleaned, Jemima controlled the broom and sent it floating to its original place.

Jemima sat down on the couch, Demeter sat beside her. "So how did you figure out you had powers?"

"Well, I don't exactly know to be honest. I just remember being in a dangerous situation, and it just happened. I began sending sparks from my paws, sending things flying across a space, making things do what I wanted them to do. But… the question isn't how I found out about them, it's where I get them from."

"Ahh, I see. Well it's not from me, I'm no more magical than a box of birthday cake candles." Demeter remarked.

"That would mean I genetically inherited them from my father, from Macavity."

"That's right. Your father was a conjuring cat. He didn't use his abilities for much of anything, seeing as how it served him no real purpose, but he did have powers."

"What do I do about mine? Do I keep them a secret?"

"You could if you wanted to, but I don't see a reason why you should. Just, don't use them unless you absolutely have to. There are others in the tribe who are capable of magic, who have powers similar to yours."

"That's comforting, but mom… how do I use them when it's necessary if I barely know how to use them at all?"

Demeter patted Jemima on the back, a knowing grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, "That is why I'm going to take you to meet someone tomorrow, someone who I think can help you."

Later That Night:

Munkustrap had come into his den with exhaustion clinging to his body. It was a long day and his bones were ready to collapse and drag the rest of him down with them. He passed the kitchen, wanting only to rest beside his mate rather than fill his grumbling stomach.

As he reached his bedroom, he noticed his place on the bed was already occupied. He smiled and shook his head. "It figures", he mused.

He grabbed a couple of extra pillows from the trunk at the foot of the bed as well as a blanket. He closed the lid of the large chest as gingerly as possible to avoid making too much noise, and headed off to the living room where he would hunker down on the couch. His foot barely crossed over the threshold from his bedroom to the hall when Demeter's voice whispered to him, "Hey you."

He turned around and came to her side of the bed. "Hi, I'm sorry I woke you." Munkustrap crouched down at the bedside so that his and Demeter's faces were in close proximity.

"That's alright, I wasn't really sleeping."

"Somebody sure is, though." Munkustrap commented, noticing the much smaller feline cuddling beside her mother, resting her head on the older queen's shoulder.

"No kidding, she hasn't moved for hours. I think it's safe to say she's comfortable. What about you? You look awfully tired."

"Believe me, I am. I'm late for my date with the couch." Munkustrap joked.

"Oh, I see. Well, before you go, I wanted to tell you what Jemima showed me after you left." Demeter continued to speak in hushed tones.

"What she _showed_ you?"

"Yes. Munkus, she has powers like Macavity."

"Is this anything we should worry about?" he whispered, but despite the low volume, the concern could still be detected in his muted voice. His eyelids were becoming heavier with each passing second.

"No, I don't think so. Tomorrow I'm taking her to see Mistoffelees, he is a conjuring cat after all, so I'm hoping he can help her to manage her abilities. They're quite impressive."

"That's a good idea you have there." Munkustrap mustered enough energy to be interested, but he couldn't keep the yawn from roaring out of his mouth, allowing a wave of hot breath to push back the loose tufts of Demeter's head-fur. "Excuse me", he said. His eyes were closed and he began to wobble on his crouched knees, the need for sleep curling up around him like a cloud of invisible smoke.

"Do me a favor, dear. Brush your teeth before bed." Demeter advised with a wrinkled nose.

"Whatever you say, honey." Munkustrap leaned in to kiss Demeter good-night, but would have missed if Demeter hadn't helped to steer his puckered lips.

"Good-night, Munkus." Demeter watched as he began to leave the room, eyes still closed, feet shuffling as they went.

"Night, darling."

Demeter laughed to herself, and then she grinned. She was lucky to have a mate like him.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: In this chapter I try to portray Mistoffelees's character. Please forgive me, I know already that it's not very good, mostly because I don't have much experience writing him in my stories, but I tried anyway!_

_This is the last chapter of the night, more to come in the morning (there's 2 or 3 left to be edited and posted). Happy reading! _

* * *

"Hello, Mistoffelees!" Demeter greeted cheerfully, walking up to the tuxedoed cat with Jemima tagging along beside her.

"Well hello there, Demeter. How are you this morning and what brings you to my humble abode?" Mistoffelees spoke with such impeccable charm. The very words that came out of his mouth seemed laced with the magic he conjured. It was one of the reasons why Demeter appreciated him so much. He was always very kind, friendly, energetic, warm, and approachable.

"Everything is fine. The reason I came to see you actually has very little to do with me, and has a bit more to do with my daughter. Jemima, this is the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, and Misto, this is Jemima." Demeter introduced the two felines. Mistoffelees stepped forward to shake Jemima's paw.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jemima." Misto smiled like a gentleman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too." Jemima returned the kind gesture.

"So what is it you need me for?" Misto stood up straight with his hands on his waist and his arms bent in the same manner arms would be if chickens were being impersonated.

"Well, Jemima has magical powers and she's quite good at using them, but she could use a bit more practice." Demeter informed Misto, and the crafty feline listened intently.

"And you're wondering if I'll help her hone in on her skills?"

"Correct." Demeter smiled.

"I'd be delighted to help. Tell you what Demeter, you mosey on home to relax and I'll take good care of Jemima here. It'll help Jemima focus more if there aren't any distractions, and you hovering in the background might distract her. Understand?"

"Perfectly. I'll see you home later Jemima. Don't forget, we're having dinner at your grandmother's tonight." Demeter kissed Jemima on the cheek and waved as she headed for the den. Jemima watched her mother go until Misto's voice drew her attention from her mother's departure to the task at paw.

"Okay, Jemima. How about you tell me what your powers are?" Mistoffelees suggested.

"Well, I can send electric currents from my paws, more like sparks, you know? And… I can move things, but that's about it…" Jemima explained.

"When was the last time you tried using your abilities?"

Jemima rubbed her arm shyly, and admitted yesterday's disaster with the ceiling fan in Munkustrap's den. The black and white tom pointed his finger toward the sky in a flash of genius, his face lit up with his unique enthusiasm. In a moment, he was gone, running off with his idea. He returned with an object that Jemima recognized, but she had no idea what its purpose was to be.

"Why a lamp, Misto?" Jemima scratched her head in bewilderment.

"This isn't just an ordinary lamp, kiddo. This lamp is indestructible."

"_Indestructible_?"

"Yes. I too can send bolts of electricity from my paws – I know, you said you can send sparks, but they'll develop into bolts with practice and determination – and a few months ago, I was practicing my target skills. To get to the point, one of my shots was terribly off the trajectory I intended for it, and it smashed into this here lamp!" Misto stood next to the floor lamp, pointing at it with zealous showmanship.

"So why is it important now?" Jemima still did not understand.

"The electricity that went through this lamp transformed it somehow. I can't yet explain it myself, but I've tested out my theory numerous times. It cannot be broken, it cannot catch fire or melt, it cannot explode, it cannot be dented or scratched, it cannot be damaged by any means! And now dear Jemima, this lamp is yours. Isn't that marvelous?"

Jemima's mouth fell open. "You're giving me a lamp? What would I need this lamp for?"

"To practice with. You said yesterday you caused light bulbs to explode. This lamp cannot be damaged! Don't you see? You can do your worst number on this lamp and it'll stand as tall as it ever has." Mistoffelees crossed his arms in front of his chest to end the conversation with a sense of finality.

Jemima went up to the lamp, circled it's seemingly wimpy exterior, after all, it was a cheap lamp, nothing too fancy or ominous, and she dutifully studied its form. Satisfied, she took a few steps back and squinted her eyes. The single light bulb beneath the quivering shade grew brighter just as the ones from Munkustrap's ceiling fan had before they were pulverized by the volume of Jemima's magic. Brighter and brighter the bulb became until it was blinding to look at directly.

Jemima gathered most of the energy she had left and tried with all her might to break the tiny glass object... but it would not buckle under the pressure.

Finally, worn out and exhausted, Jemima forfeited her attempt. Out of breath, she sat on her bum and took a moment to simply relax and recuperate.

Misto came over to her and bent down to pat her on the back and teasingly whisper in her ear, "I told you so."

Jemima pushed herself up off the ground and stood next to Misto, puffing out her fur and standing on the tips of her toes to seem just as tall and muscular as he was. She was joking around with him, and he could tell because of the budding smile upon her lips. "Just you wait until my powers are fully developed! I'll be zapping your mystical rump from here to Heaviside!" she was barely able to contain her laughter.

"I believe you, but you'd have to find me first." Mistoffelees grinned mischievously. He moved the lamp next to Jemima and after it was placed on the ground, he took a few steps back. His paws moved in a circular pattern around themselves, winding and churning, like humans do when they dance, and soon a cloud of smoke was being formed at his wrists.

His paws continued to roll faster until there was enough smoke to shield him entirely from Jemima's view. She could see his paws poking out from the formation here and there, seemingly herding the cloud to a position above him. It was like having to control a giant bubble…

Jemima watched as Misto left the smoky puff to hover between them and began backing up even further from Jemima. He crouched low to the ground, as if he were to pounce, and not once did he tear his eyes away from the cloud he concocted.

"One, two, three." He counted in his mind, and after gaining a running start, he lunged upwards at the summoned fog. Jemima was suddenly fearful, Mistoffelees would not have enough room to land! Surely he would come through the other side of the thick mist and collide with her… but no such event occurred.

Misto was engulfed by the dense vapor and as soon as he propelled himself into it, the smoke dissipated. The cloud had vanished, and so had Mistoffelees.

Jemima spun around in all directions, desperately searching for the magical feline. She worried something had gone terribly wrong and Misto was no in grave danger. However, her concerns were diminished when a voice called to her from atop the trunk of the TSE1.

It was Mistoffelees. He called to her and waved humorously, adorning his face with a victorious smile. Jemima rushed over to him.

"How did you do that!? You jumped into the air… and the cloud was gone, and you were too, and now you're here… when you should be there… I don't know how you did it!" Jemima was bumbling rapidly, her mouth couldn't move fast enough with the words her brain commanded to be spoken.

Mistoffelees giggled at her reaction. "You can do the same thing, Jemima. Not yet of course, but with practice." He slid down from the antique car and walked back over to the lamp. He lifted it with one arm and motioned with the other for her to follow him. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

"Aren't you tired after that?" Jemima was still baffled and enthralled by what she'd seen. "Are you hurt?"

"Of course not! And I'll tell you why: it's because I've spent lots of time building up my tolerance for the amount of magic a stunt like that calls for. Performing magic is tiring on a body, and if you were to try that now, at your stage of development, it'd kill you, which is why practicing is key."

"Can we do the same thing tomorrow? Can you train me?" Jemima questioned with excitement.

"Sure, I think I could do that. We could be partners!" Now Misto was the excited one.

"Yes, partners!" Jemima was thrilled. They walked together in silence, before Jemima spoke again, this time she was no longer excited like before, now her voice was serious. "Hey Misto, if we're training as partners, does that make us friends, too?"

"I suppose it does, yes. We're friends as well as partners."

Jemima smiled.

"What is it?" Misto inquired.

"Well, I've never had a friend before. You're the first one I've ever known."

"Well, I'm honored." Misto grinned genuinely. They had both reached the outside of Munkustrap's den and Misto gently placed the floor lamp on the ground. "Think you can handle that?" he asked.

Jemima nodded. As she began to grip the pole of the lamp to bring it inside, Misto interrupted. "Remember Jemima, be careful when you practice with that lamp. Try not to fry it, instead try to intensify it, keep a steady rhythm going. It's all about focus and control, okay?"

Again, Jemima nodded. "Bye, Misto. See you tomorrow."

The tuxedoed tom bowed and left.

Jemima stood next to the lamp and leaned on it as she watched Misto go.

_So this is what it feels like to have a friend…_

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_A/N: Next chapter: Dinner at Jenny's! _


	26. Chapter 26

"So pleased you came tonight, sweetheart." Jenny kissed Demeter on the side of the face as she came through the door with Munkustrap and Jemima.

Similar greetings, friendly and sincere, were exchanged and soon they all sat down at the table.

"So, Munkustrap," Jenny started, passing along a serving dish piled with a variety of savory roasted bird, "anything new going on?"

"Yes, actually. I'm sure by now you've caught wind of the war rumors?" he spoke casually, taking a sip of his drink.

"A tad, but I haven't heard much." Jenny replied. Demeter added, "I haven't heard much myself."

"Well I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. The Solacers feel that they are in danger, that we all are. They've been seeing a lot of Pollicles coming around their territory."

"Rufus's fighter mutts?" Demeter asked, using the knife to slice the lusciously smelling meat on her plate.

Munkustrap nodded. "Most likely. But the Solacers are a tribe who do not wage wars or engage in battles, the fighter mutts would have no reason to attack them. They're a private group."

"This is true, but from what I've seen from Pollicles," Jemima broke in with a quiet voice, not sure if it would be appropriate for her to put in her two cents when the conversation seemed to be between the adults, but none of them seemed to mind when she interjected, "it doesn't take much for them to find reason for an attack. They'll go after just about anyone."

"She does have a point." Demeter agreed.

"Believe me, it's something I've considered. I've already decided to forge an alliance with the Solacers, just in case they should come to harm. We'll be willing to help should the need arise." Munkustrap grinned, showing little worry over the situation, feeling very in control, and very solid in his belief that nothing would happen…

A week later:

Jemima arrived in the Junkyard clearing to find Misto leaping around effortlessly with an impressive amount of grace. He was practicing as usual, though apparently this time it was his dance moves he was rehearsing, not his magical skills.

"Hello, Jemima. Is it time for our training already?" Misto called down to her, continuing to bound and prance about in circles around the smaller feline.

"Yes, it is. Should I come later?"

Misto lunged forward one more time and landed perfectly in front of Jemima with a thud, smiling as bright as ever. "Of course not! This is my favorite time of day!"

Jemima's pearly white teeth glistened as a smile spread across her face. "Let's get started then. Can you teach me hypnosis?" Jemima asked eagerly, even though she could have put money on a bet as to what the answer was going to be. Still, she gave it a shot.

"Absolutely not. You ask me this every single day, Jemima, and the answer is still no. Hypnosis is dangerous, it must never be used on others and it must never be used for personal gain."

"You use it for personal gain all the time!" Jemima whined accusatorily.

"So I hypnotize the fish every once and a while when it's my turn to catch the day's supply, big deal." Misto seemed not to care, but then his expression changed, "You haven't told anyone I do that, have you?"

"Of course not." Jemima answered honestly.

"Good." Misto breathed a sigh of relief. "You're too young for that kind of stuff anyway. Maybe I'll consider teaching it to you in a few years, when you're older."

"A few years?" Jemima whined louder than before. She huffed.

Misto gave a curt nod and turned his back on Jemima to fetch the props for the day's lesson. Jemima sat down agitatedly, her eyes roamed the yard automatically, and when her gaze fell upon an empty cardboard box right in Misto's path, she couldn't help the idea from forming in her cunning brain.

"Oh, Misto!" she sang. He turned around to face her, waiting to hear whatever else it was she was going to say. Jemima cleverly slid the box behind Misto, directly in his chosen lane of travel.

Jemima smiled sweetly. "Never mind, I forgot what I was going to say."

As he turned around, his feet clumsily tripped on the cardboard object and he involuntarily let out a startled mew. He fell on the floor, and didn't get up right away, which immediately alarmed Jemima. She had been giggling at the success of her trap, but when Misto lay on the ground – unmoving – the humor of the innocent prank evaporated.

"Mistoffelees!" Jemima wasted no time in pushing herself up off the ground. She rushed to Misto's side and gently placed her paw against his cheek. "Misto, can you hear me?" The black and white conjurer still had not moved. "Misto! Everlasting Cat, what have I done?"

It was the sound of hysteria in Jemima's voice that Misto couldn't tolerate hearing. He sprung open his eyes and smiled evilly. "Just kidding! Gotcha!" he squirmed away from Jemima's hovering body and sprang to his feet. He giggled with glee as Jemima, now with an abashed expression on her face after realizing she'd been tricked, chased after the tom.

"You scoundrel! You rat! How could you do that to me?" Jemima teasingly called him names in a voice pure of the intent to truly insult her friend.

They ran around the Junkyard until they were gasping for air, thoroughly tuckered out.

"We make a good team, Jemima." Misto commented, closing his eyes and crossing his arms behind his head.

"Sure we do, we're friends!" Jemima exclaimed happily.

"I don't think this really counts as training though, unless you think of it as training to run faster when you're being chased. Or in your case, training to improve the speed at which you chase somebody."

"Works for me." Jemima grinned. "Hey, I have an idea!" she sat up, looking down at Misto who looked at her questioningly.

"There's talk of a war between Jellicles and Pollicles, especially since the Solacers don't fight in battle, so let's you and I form a secret weapon. If things start to turn for the worse, we can move into action and help the tribe!"

"Secret weapon? Like with magic? That's quite the notion, Jemima."

"No, it's not just a notion! It's a fantastic idea!"

"I suppose it could work, but I'm too tired to practice now. Let's rest first."

"We can't do that, the fighting could begin at any time! Let's start now!" Jemima began tugging at Misto's arm, which he grudgingly removed from behind his head. He was considerably heavier than she was, but she kept trying to pull with all her might regardless of the fact. "Right now, come on!"

The tuxedoed cat gave in to her begging, and rose to his full height. "Alright, alright. Let's go. You know we're going to have to spend a lot of time practicing this plan of yours. We'll want to get it right when the time comes, if it comes." Misto informed, as the two began to walk towards the colossal tire.

"It will come, and we'll be heroes for saving the tribe! You'll thank me after everyone's cheering our names."

"Jemima, take this seriously, please."

Jemima stopped walking and waited for Misto to face her in return. "I am serious, Misto. If the tribe is in trouble when the battling takes place, I want to help them win the war."

"Okay, fine. Just count on me to be there." Mistoffelees patted Jemima's shoulder.

"I knew I could." Jemima grinned.


	27. Chapter 27

Munkustrap was enjoying his dinner, Demeter and Jemima sitting in the two remaining chairs at the table. The fish was divine, as dinner always was when cooked by Demeter.

Jemima watched as Munkustrap ate the food on his plate. She paid very little attention to the food on her own dish, and watched as he dug into the meal forkful after forkful. He wasted no time. Surely that was a good sign.

Demeter grinned to herself, trying not to let it show as she observed Jemima's behavior. She knew why the small feline was so intrigued with Munkustrap's thoughts on the food he was consuming and how it tasted.

Jemima continued to push food around on her plate, looking to Munkustrap while keeping her face pointed towards her lap.

"So… Munkustrap… how does the food taste?"

Munkustrap stopped chewing the food in his mouth, face frozen. He asked tentatively, "Why?"

"Because she cooked most of what we're eating tonight." Demeter answered smoothly. Munkustrap stared at Jemima, totally surprised.

"Are you serious? That's fantastic! This tastes amazing! I couldn't tell the difference! Good job, Jem!"

Jemima beamed, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "Mom helped of course." Demeter and Jemima exchanged smiles.

Before the moment could be relished any further, Alonzo stormed in.

"Hey, Munkus, we've got a serious problem in the Junkyard, you've got to come outside. Someone's looking for you."

Munkustrap was getting up from the table when he asked the urgent bi-colored tom, "What's wrong?" before heading out into the Junkyard, he excused himself from dinner. Both Jemima and Demeter looked at each other with worried faces. It was only a few seconds after Munkustrap had left the den that they followed him.

In the middle of the Junkyard, a striped tannish-brown cat with terrified green eyes was on his knees and spouting all kinds of things, some of which couldn't be understood because of how fast he was attempting to. This cat was distraught beyond description, his fur was standing on end, his claws were exposed and gripping the ground, he panted for every breath. The group of Jellicles surrounding him looked at each other, confused and mesmerized at the same time.

Munkustrap followed Alonzo to the clearing. Before he could see the dirt-colored tom, he could hear his voice, shouting and then talking softly, and then yelling again. It caused his paws to move faster and surpass Alonzo, needing to find out what the commotion was. He pushed his way, as gingerly as possible, through the crowd.

He cautiously approached the male feline and by subconscious reflexes spread his arms out to form a protective stance for his tribe members. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.

The frazzled cat simply continued to babble nonsense, none of it could be comprehended. His eyes darted about frantically, not resting on anything for longer than two seconds. Munkustrap knelt beside the cat, and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Calm down, it's alright. Tell me what's wrong. Why have you come here?" it was then, as Munkustrap was able to see the feline up close, that he could see the scratches, the bruises, the blood, littering his entire body.

At Munkustrap's touch, the tom looked into Munkustrap's eyes. His rambling ceased, and he was quiet. In a gentle voice, he asked Munkustrap, "Are you the Jellicle protector?"

Munkustrap nodded. "What's your name?"

"I'm Pax, I'm a Solacer." Pax pointed to himself eagerly with his thumb, proud to be who he was for whatever reason.

"What brings you here, Pax? Is your tribe in danger? Should we send reinforcements?"

"Oh heavens, don't bother. You must leave now, before they get here! You don't stand a chance! They're coming, they're on their way as I deliver this news! You must flee!" he informed desperately.

"Flee from who? Who's coming?"

"The Pollicles!" Pax exclaimed with horror etched onto the details of his middle-aged face.

"Where's the rest of the Solacer tribe, Pax? Why are you alone?"

"The others are fighting, but so many have fallen already. It's a slaughter! A massacre! You must leave, please! I myself was barely able to escape!"

"It's alright, Pax. You'll be safe here. Jellylorum will bandage your wounds." Munkustrap glanced at Jellylorum, to signal her to come forward, which she understood instantly. She helped battered Pax to his paws, and aided him all the way to her den.

Demeter held Jemima close. More than likely, the Pollicles were Rufus's fighter mutts. She feared they would come for Jemima, despite her having grown up without being raised by them. Their plan was never put forth, but who could say Rufus wouldn't want Jemima anyway?

Munkustrap stood and faced his peers. "Let's not let ourselves be frightened. We must prepare for a battle. If the Pollicles are coming, we must be ready to fight. Please keep in mind, Pax is from a tribe of those who refuse to defend themselves, but we are Jellicles, and we are mighty. We will not let those mongrels destroy us or this home. We are feline, fearless, faithful and true." Munkustrap held his fist towards the sky, and an echo of the chant emanated from the felines around him.

"Feline, fearless, faithful, and true!"

"Now," Munkustrap's eyes widened for emphasis, "let's get ready to conquer those dogs!" And with that, the crowd dispersed in a flurry.

Munkustrap took in a breath, inflating his lungs with as much oxygen as possible and closed his eyes as he forced the air out in one giant huff.

"Munkustrap?" Demeter came up to Munkustrap and tugged him softly by the arm to speak privately.

"Demeter, what is it?"

"I need to get Jemima out of here."

Jemima was standing next to Demeter and was bothered immensely by what her mother had said. "No! I'm not going anywhere!"

Demeter turned to her daughter and in the gentlest voice possible, said, "Hush, Jemima."

"I will not 'hush'! This is my family now. I belong here with them!"

Munkustrap spoke. "You should go along with the other kittens, Jemima. They'll be hiding out in your grandmother's den in a secret spot. You'll be safe there."

Jemima only grew more vehement and stubborn in her desire to stay. "I will not go! I will stay right here and fight beside the members of this tribe whether you let me or not."

The force in her voice surprised both Demeter and Munkustrap and the two exchanged a look. They knew that there wasn't time to argue with Jemima, that though it would mean allowing her life to be in danger, she wasn't going to alter her decision.

"Alright, Jemima, just be careful. If anything happens to you now I just know I'll die." Demeter warned, and took Jemima into a suffocating embrace.

When they parted, Jemima said, "I'll be careful, mom. You watch yourself out there. I've got to find Mistoffelees." She darted off, away from her mother, and the image caused Demeter's heart to skip a beat, for as she watched her daughter run off, it reminded her sharply of when she'd told her to runfor her life in the woods…

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_A/N: Three chapters left. Please review!_


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: Okay, here we go! The battle chapter we've all been waiting for (I think)!_

_Before we get started, here's a joke I found surfing the internet: There's two fish in a tank, one turned to the other and said, "You man the guns, I'll drive." …Get it? :D _

_Okay, okay, just one more: Why did the police officer smell? Because he was on duty! HAA!_

_Okay, enough nonsense, here's the next chapter of Lost and Found!_

* * *

It was evening. The moon had risen and the Junkyard was enveloped by her naturally luminous beams of light. It was eerie instead of placid. Everything was quiet save for the sound of breathing and the slight shuffling of paws. Crickets chirped, the breeze blew through the branches of nearby trees, and all the while the moon just sat up in the sky and watched patiently, as if she were getting ready to observe a play at a reputable theater.

The Jellicles in the Junkyard formed defensive lines on the edges of the yard, Jemima and Demeter, along with a few other queens, on the inside nearest to the middle clearing.

Now, the thumping of heavy paws could be heard, the Pollicles were drawing closer and closer with each passing moment.

The Jellicles felt afraid, naturally. Beneath that fear though, was a churning wave of pride and loyalty to one another. There was love, there was strength, and there was courage. They were ready to give their all to protect not only what they loved, but who they loved.

Jemima looked around at the cats surrounding her. Their hearts were so beautiful and pure. They were a team, they were a family, and all together they resembled a home. With these felines, Jemima felt like she belonged, like all the other trouble going on in the world could be quelled just by being around these gallant creatures. This was everything Jemima wanted to be a part of, and she wasn't willing to let it be destroyed by a snarling group of mangy dogs.

It is then that the ears of the Jellicles, like radars, pick up on the sound of growls; growls emanating from the throats of bloodthirsty Pollicles. They look around continuously, by now they should have visual contact with the beasts, but they cannot see them. More and more, the Jellicles look around them, questioning expressions taking up residence on their many faces. Munkustrap stands tall, holding his arms like a country scarecrow would; he listens intently, but cannot help but also show confusion.

A slight pressure could be felt on Jemima's shoulder. The young dame looks at the paw only for a moment, knowing it is her mother's. Demeter looks into Jemima's eyes, tears building in the rims of her own, "Be careful, I'll be by you the whole time. Yell if you need my help. This is going to get intense and it's going to happen any second now." Demeter applied pressure in her grip, emphasizing her point. Jemima was about to say something in reply, but she never had the chance. All at once, Pollicles leapt out from their hiding places.

The shadows casted upon the sides of the Junkyard formed vicious monsters more frightening than the savage villains themselves. In a flash, Pollicles and Jellicles collided with one another. The parameter set around the Junkyard that the cats had formed was easily crossed and overwhelmed. Felines were being knocked to the ground with one swipe of a colossal paw. Some dodged out of the way, only to be walloped by another zooming paw from a different beast.

Demeter was reminded of the scene she witnessed in the Warehouse when Rufus's fighter mutts had stormed her and Macavity's home, but she would not let things end similarly, she would not lose another member of her family.

The Jellicles and Pollicles clashed with a force never before experienced by dog or cat, not even during the infamous Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles; Rumpus Cat would surely be deemed a suicidal fool if he tried to break this mess up.

The quiet of the night had fled once the Pollicles charged the Junkyard, and now the soundtrack consisted of hisses, howls, caterwauls, grunts, sounds that could not have even been explained, and some that were simply wails of sheer agony. Blood began to color the ground, filling in the deepest parts of the Junkyard floor. The red liquid formed a rapidly flowing stream until it spilled into the sewer, disappearing into the darkened mouth of the tunnels underground.

Jemima wrinkled her nose in disgust, what an unattractive odor the smell of blood was, especially when it was a mix of both Jellicle and Pollicle. The young queen ducked, rolled, and scurried to escape punishing blows to all parts of her body. She noticed, as did a few other Jellicles, that there was a mutt among the crowd who did not engage in the gruesome fight. This, Jemima thought, was the leader. This had to be Rufus himself. Jemima looked to her mother, her face was etched in horror. It was all the confirmation Jemima needed, for now she knew for sure that the Pollicle standing smugly above the chaos was indeed Rufus. Jemima hissed involuntarily, unable to control the hatred brewing within.

This was the Pollicle who was responsible for the death of her father, the one who was responsible for all the time she and her mother had spent apart, all of those cold and lonely nights on her own without a friend in the world… it was all his fault.

Her throat vibrated as a raspy growl escaped. Jemima was unable to control herself, consumed by the rage suddenly racing through her veins. She began striding towards Rufus, claws exposed and so ready to shred his flesh with her teeth if she had to, that she could taste the blood on her tongue and feel the satisfying rush of vengeance.

"Jemima, no!" Demeter called, in the throes of taking on a Pollicle twice her size. "He isn't worth it! He'll kill you before you have a chance! Please!" The golden-ebony queen wrestled the fighter mutt, arguing for her daughter's senses to kick in.

They had. Jemima sighed, and after seeing that her mother had flung the Pollicle and was safe again, fled to find Mistoffelees. "Misto! Mistoffelees, where are you?" Jemima hollered, cupping her paws around her mouth to increase the volume of her voice. A Pollicle fell at her feet, coming close to crushing her on the spot.

"Over here, Jem!" Misto responded finally, coming through the crowd of thrashing bodies. "Look out!" Misto warned, and Jemima instinctively ducked low to the ground, as Misto and the apparently oncoming Pollicle collided in mid-air.

Mistoffelees sent a couple of electric shocks to the Pollicle, who try as he may to avoid them, was hit several times with painful zaps. He eventually fled from the black and white cat, who then turned to Jemima, who was just finishing off another foe.

Both Mistoffelees and Jemima were panting with minor exhaustion, but Misto was certain of the reason as to why Jemima was searching for him in the midst of the fray.

"Are you ready?" Misto asked Jemima, who nodded with certainty.

"Let's do this." Jemima said, putting her paw out for Misto to take. He grabbed onto it with a firm grip as they headed to the center of the Junkyard.

As they reach the center, their paws separate so they may stand across from each other. With a few feet of distance between them, each closes their eyes and focuses intently. They know what is about to happen, for they are going to be the ones controlling it. In their ears, there is no battle raging around them, no screams, no groans, no noise at all. All is quiet. Nothing exists to either cat except the person in front of them, and the magic in their souls. There is no Junkyard in the state of mind they are in, there are no other felines, there are no dogs, they are the only two left in existence.

Suddenly, at the precise moment each of the two young magicians feels within them is right, they catapult their arms upwards, clapping their hands with magnificent force. With just one solid clap, a surge of magic washes over the group around them. A cloud of blue and purple fog ripples out from where Mistoffelees and Jemima stand, like an ocean wave stretching up the sands of the shore. The Pollicles are stunned; their motions are reduced to such a slow pace that it almost seems as if they have frozen.

Pouncival bravely 'fee knuckles' one of the Pollicles and comically giggles when the fighter mutt, obviously still in slow motion, wrinkles his face at the action and the slight amount of discomfort it caused him. There is a relief that comes over the Jellicle tribe, and Jemima and Mistoffelees share satisfied looks at each other.

However, the moment does not last more than a few seconds, for shortly after Pouncival flicks the Pollicle's nose, they simultaneously begin to speed up in their movements, reverting back to a natural pace.

Jemima has a panicked look on her face, and nods to the tuxedoed tomcat, who instantly understands her meaning. They are to try again, this time with more of a focused effort that would hopefully buy them more time. Again, they close their eyes, and after a few moments of meditation, they clap their hands together thunderously.

Again, the Pollicles are stunned as the wave of magic makes its way through the crowd.

Again, it quickly wears off.

"What are we going to do now, Misto? That was our only idea!"

"We do the only thing we can do, Jem." Misto answers honestly. "We fight like the others." And with that, the black and white cat leapt into the fray and out of Jemima's sight. She looked around at the fighting taking place in every direction she looked. Even above her, cats were swinging from ropes and clinging to bars, knocking each other off. And then she noticed him. A red and wild-maned tom fighting atop the trunk of the TSE1 car. He was shooting bolts of lightning from his paws it seemed. No one else had noticed him there. He made contact with several Pollicles, and though they clearly felt the pain of the blows they were receiving, they couldn't locate its place of origin. It was curious, Jemima thought…

Then, she gets an idea.

She searches the crowd for Rufus. In her mind, if the fighting doesn't stop now, it never will. Her eyes continuously scan the sea of faces for his own, and when she finds it, she wastes no time in making her move.

As she approaches him, the electricity begins to tingle between her fingers, looping around her paws and working its way up her arms. Just before reaching the larger animal, she throws her arms into the air, but before she can send the jolts of stinging magic through his body, he lunges for her. Upon landing, he slaps her across the face so brutally that she is sent flying through the air. Demeter watched, a quivering paw covering her gaping mouth, as her daughter's body collided with a pile of trash bags. She was tumbling down the side of the garbage hill when Demeter turned towards the snickering leader.

Demeter had it made in her mind earlier that she wasn't going to lose another member of her family because of Rufus, and she intended to keep that goal in the realm of reality. She began marching towards the unsuspecting Pollicle.

She was prepared to strike, prepared to deliver a fatal blow to the Pollicle who had tarnished so many parts of her life. As she bent her knees, ready to pounce with unrelenting ferocity, Jemima was in front of her, taking on Rufus herself, shooting a steady stream of electricity from her paws. At first, Rufus is taken over by merciless laughter. Through his fit, he manages to speak to Jemima, "So you're a Jelly cat now, eh Jemmy? You were supposed to be mine, you know." King Rufus shouts over the volume of the neon rays of magic soaring through the air, "You were going to be everything to us! You were going to lead the Pollicles to ultimate domination over pussy cats like you, you were supposed to pave the road for us that would lead to Pollicle supremacy! But no, you just HAD to be independent." The Pollicle leader's voice grew dark and low as he spoke next, "You're just like your father. He couldn't do what I asked of him, and he got what he deserved. Now it's your turn to pay the price." The electricity continues to make contact with his body, but it isn't for another few minutes that his body begins to feel the toll of Jemima's craft.

Rufus eventually weakens, as does Jemima. Both Pollicle and Jellicle soon become too weak to stand, and are forced to kneel. Jemima can feel the energy draining fast, but she refuses to give up, not when she's so close to defeating Rufus, so close to finally getting revenge on the one responsible for so much of the tragedy that had dominated her life.

"Jemima, please stop!" Demeter was behind her daughter, reaching her arms out to her but not making physical contact. She could see the energy in her daughter depleting, and she feared what would happen if she completely exhausted herself. "You could die, Jem! Stop! Stop it now!" she cried desperately, but the blue streaks kept flowing.

Rufus howled in pain, he cringed and contorted, the thousands of nerves in his body sending messages to his brain so fast and so strongly that he wished he could die. How much longer would he be made to suffer this way? He hoped the Jellicle would perish first, he hoped he would get the chance to continue his war and lead his fighter mutt's to total victory… but as he felt the pain tearing through his body, he knew that hoping for such things would get him nowhere. Somehow he had to overcome what was being done to him, he had to get past the torture.

Jemima could not believe her eyes. Through the shower of bright blue electric pulses, she could see Rufus, beginning to stand. He gave an ominous growl, which morphed into a guttural howl. He grimaced in such pain, but nevertheless found a way to stand, found a way to seem immune to Jemima's efforts. He smiled, revealing his fangs dripping with saliva. The young Jellicle dame continued to shrink as her strength gave out. Her vision was becoming fuzzier by the second, and just as the world was fading, two marvelous things happened.

One of them was her mother, who, from behind Jemima, was supporting her weight, holding her up from under her shoulders. The second marvelous thing was none other than the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees himself, who now stood beside Jemima was sending off waves of electricity of his own. Together, he and Jemima combined their magical streams and the two lines of bright light formed a united blaze of electricity. The smile that had taken up the lower portion of Rufus's face had vanished, and his knees rapidly buckled. He crouched reluctantly, then fell altogether into a fetal position. As his fur began to smoke, the single streak of electricity relinquished.

Rufus, King of the Pollicles, was dead.

The fighter mutts, seeing their leader fatally wounded, retreated from Jellicle territory, earning a couple of extra scratches and kicks as they disappeared from the Junkyard's boundaries. Jemima, out of breath, looked over to Mistoffelees with a cheerful smile. They had done it.

Demeter, who was still helping Jemima to stand, gently spun the tired queen around. "I'm so proud of you, just don't ever make me worry like that ever again. You were half dead out there for a few moments." She hugged Jemima tightly to her.

"I love you, mom. Thanks for helping me out there. Along with Misto of course, it's like we defeated Rufus together, you know? Finally every painful thing of our past has gone." Jemima smiled, standing up on her own, and taking her mother in another snug embrace.

As Demeter and Jemima parted, the golden-ebony queen placed her arm around the smaller queen's shoulder. Cats were congratulating Jemima as well as Mistoffelees for their fantastic teamwork. When finally they had reached a quiet place, Jemima mentioned something to her mother.

"You know mom, I think I might have seen father out there. It certainly looked like him, from what I remember, from what I've seen in my dreams."

Cats were picking up the pieces of their damaged home in the distance, sorting the ruble from what could be salvaged or repaired.

"You know darling, I thought I might have seen the same thing. But how could that be? Your father died years ago. Even if he were alive, surely he'd have contacted me by now, or even you. We meant a great deal to him."

"It's strange though, is it not?" Jemima questioned, stopping the two from walking by not taking another step forward, her eyes slanting a bit as she thought about the possibility of her father being alive.

"Strange? Yes. Possible that he's alive? I'd say no, sweetheart. I'm sorry." Demeter faced Jemima, and rubbed the fur off of her forehead, placing a gentle kiss there.

The sound of a twig snapping beneath a paw drew the attention of both Jemima and Demeter instantly. The distance that they were from the others in the Junkyard was now uncomfortable. Something was hiding behind the bushes, and from the odor invading their nostrils, they knew this creature was an enemy. The hidden being was a Pollicle.

"Jemima," Demeter whispered, "get back to the Junkyard. Go now." She instructed.

"Not without you." Jemima replied, also whispering. Neither of them budged an inch. They'd turned into statues.

"Please do as I say."

"No, mom. I can't. I won't."

Just then, the Pollicle they knew was there leapt out from its hiding spot, and Demeter and Jemima were fast to detain the agitated animal. Demeter had gotten on its back, holding it by the neck, while Jemima used a thin, flexible branch to bind his limbs. They dragged him back to the Junkyard, and the toms soon gathered round the perpetrator to deal with him away from the eyes of kittens.

The adrenaline was still present in the queens' veins. "You alright?" Demeter asked.

"Startled a bit, but I'm fine. You?" Jemima returned.

"Perfectly okay." Demeter smiled. Munkustrap approached hastily.

"Did I hear you two were okay? That's what I overheard, right? Neither of you are injured?" Munkustrap borderline interrogated the two women he loved. Demeter smiled while Jemima giggled.

"What's funny about me asking if you're alright after being attacked by a stray Pollicle?" The silver tabby was baffled.

"Nothing dear," Demeter started, "it's just right now Jem and I couldn't be more okay, so it's simply funny that you should be so concerned when there's honestly no need. Isn't that right, Jem darling?" Demeter turned it over to her daughter, still grinning.

"Absolutely right, mom."

Munkustrap sighed. "Well, I see I'm outnumbered here. I guess I'll leave you two alone." He began to walk away. Little did he know that his world was about to be shaken on its axis.

It occurred in just seconds, though those seconds played out in what seemed like days. Not a feline in the tribe could have reacted fast enough.

Jemima felt petrified and heartache swelling in her chest both in the same moment. Her heart was being torn from her chest and before she could think of a way to stop it, the events had already taken place. The body was on the floor, the blood was spilling out, and the gasps for air stung everyone's ears.

Her mouth is open, her eyes are wide, and her body trembles as it falls.

"No…" is all she can manage to whisper… her world has crumbled.

* * *

_A/N: I wonder if anyone knows what just happened… feel free to leave guesses, all will be revealed soon enough. _

_One more joke for the road? What do you call a guy who never farts in public? A private tutor! _

_I'm sorry, but I love corny jokes…_


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: This chapter would have been so much better, but the notes I wrote for it got lost, so I had to start from scratch. This is the only chapter I had nothing to go on for, the only one that wasn't written a while ago like the rest of this old story. It was written in about 20 minutes or so because life doesn't give me the chance for anything more, so I apologize if it lacks in any of the usual departments... _

* * *

Munkustrap spun around at the commotion in time to see Demeter crash to the ground. Her body cringed and twitched as she tried to breathe through the pain and trauma seizing her instantly.

Plato, Alonzo, and Admetus quickly disposed of the stray perpetrator that was left behind when all of the other Pollicles had fled. This one was rogue, and had burst out from its hiding place with claws stretched outwards, fangs exposed, and eyes wild with bloodlust. It had attacked Demeter, but its time of wreaking havoc was finished. The toms handled him beyond adequately.

The golden-ebony queen rests in the arms of her silver mate, who cannot believe what is happening. Her breathing is labored, her tear-filled eyes are open but look as though they could close at any moment, and her mouth opens and closes as if she's trying to speak. The vicious claws that dug into the flesh of her abdomen left behind a heavily bleeding wound.

Munkus holds her head up just a bit. "Deme? Can you hear me right now? Just keep breathing, okay?"

"How… bad is it?" She asks, the lungs within her ribcage convulsing as she tries to fill them with air despite the agony. Munkustrap does not answer, he doesn't know how, so she repeats her question. "Munk. How bad?" Demeter was hoping that her mind was exaggerating the pain she was feeling, that whatever wound she'd acquired wasn't as bad as it felt.

"Don't think about that now. Jellylorum will have you patched up in no time. You've got to hold on."

"Lots of blood, isn't there? It's okay Munk, I know." The tears slide down her face towards the ground below her head. She reaches a paw up to his cheek, stroking it lovingly. Munkustrap cannot ignore how much her arm trembles, how much energy it takes for Demeter to simply touch his face.

"Munk, promise me… you'll take care of Jemima… for me. Please. Have part of me close to you even… after I'm… gone."

"We don't have to do this, Dem. You're going to be fine."

Demeter doesn't answer, the sobs are beginning to overwhelm her ability to restrain them. A couple of choking sounds escape her throat.

Jemima is fighting to get herself out of Tugger's strong grip. His arms are wrapped around her and fastened in the front by the paws to keep her from running to her dying mother. "Please, Tugger! Let me go! She's my mom! She needs me! Please, let go!" she pleads through her sobs. "Let me go to her!"

Tugger tries to console the young queen as best he can. "It's okay, Jemima. Your mother is right where she would want to be." He didn't think Demeter or Munkustrap would want Jemima to see what was happening.

"No!" Jemima gives one final push and breaks free of Tugger's hold. She rushes to Demeter's side, and kneels beside Munkustrap. Seeing her daughter shatters Demeter's heart.

"Oh, honey." Demeter sighs. She moves her paw to cover Jemima's, no longer having enough energy to lift any one of her limbs.

"Mom, you can't go now. I just found you. I don't want to lose you!" Jemima cried desperately.

"Please don't cry, Jem. I love you so much. I'll never be far away from you. Never." Demeter struggled, but not even the threat of death hovering nearby could stop her from speaking her last words, especially to her daughter. They'd been through so much, it wasn't fair to have it end now, to have it end this horrible way.

"Mom, please." Jemima closed her eyes tightly, begging for her mother not to die. "I need you."

"I'm so proud of you, Jemima. So… proud." Demeter's breathing was ragged. The life was ebbing from her faster with each passing moment. Her eyes were losing their shine. The bright chartreuse in them was fading.

Munkustrap took Demeter's paw into his own and pressed it against his lips. His face contorted in the way one does before the uncontrollable sobs break loose.

"Demeter, please don't leave us."

She didn't respond with words. She lifted her head further, looking at the puddle of blood sitting on her belly. It was a considerably large pool of red liquid, rippling and quivering as she took each breath. Trails of blood spilled over the side and formed a thick puddle around her. She groaned as she looked upon the mess she was.

"Put your head down, Deme. Don't look."

Demeter was suddenly as scared as a kitten during their first thunderstorm. She vehemently shook her head. She didn't want to die, and both her mate and daughter knew it. She didn't want to put her head down, she didn't want to rest. She wanted nothing more than to be able to stand up and brush herself off as if she'd clumsily fallen from a pile of crates. She wanted to see tomorrow's sunrise, she wanted to watch Jemima continue to grow, she wanted to be with Munkustrap forever. She didn't want to die. She wasn't ready.

Jennyanydots watched from the side, crying into Skimbleshanks's shoulder. Jellylorum stood nearby, but even she knew there was nothing that could save Demeter now. The damage was irrevocable. Too much blood was lost, and there was simply no time.

"We're here, Dem. We won't leave." Munkustrap stroked the side of her face. She cried in a mix of fear and pain. Munkustrap's heart was being stabbed. He hated this. She was in such pain, she was terrified, and the only thing he could do was sit by her side and watch.

Jemima held onto Demeter's other paw, holding it tightly. She wanted to make sure her mother could feel her holding on.

"Je-" Demeter tried to speak, but there was blood pooling in her throat. She swallowed it so she could speak. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I love you. I'm… so sorry."

Jemima had opened her mouth to speak in response, to tell her mother that she had nothing to be sorry about, but she never had the chance. Demeter's mouth opened, she laid her head on the ground. Her eyes were open and tears continued to spill out as she tried to breathe. Only a couple of choking noises could be heard before Demeter's last breath left her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her head fell softly to one side.

She had died. There was nothing they could have done.


End file.
